THE BIRTH AND CIRCUMCISION OF ISAAC
CHAPTER TWENTYONE

The Lord looked after Sarah as he had said that he would do,
for Sarah conceived and bore a son, even in great age, onto
Abraham in his old age at the time which God had promised 
	and had set.
And Abraham called the son whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham had him
	circumcised
when Abraham was one hundred years old. Sarah said, 
	God has given me
cause for laughter, and whoever hears of it will laugh with me."
Again she said, "Who would have said to Abraham, 'Sarah will
	nurse children.'
Yet I bore him a son in his great age." He gave a great feast 
	when she weaned his son.


ISMAEL AND AGAR EXPELLED

Sarah saw the son of Agar the Egyptian whom she had bore 
	to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac, sporting him and making fun.
She said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave-girl with her son;
for the son of the slave-girl shall not be heir with Isaac, my son."
The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.
	But God said,
"Be not distressed on account of the boy and your slave-girl;
	your descendents ahead
shall be called through Isaac; heed all that Sarah sayds onto you.
But I will also make the slave-girl's son, your offspring, a great nation,
	too."
Abraham rose early in the morning, took bread and gave it to Agar
along with a bottle of water, he placed over her shoulder. She depart-
ed when he dismissed her, and she with her child wandered about
in the desert of Bersabee. When the water she had with her had run out,
she left the child under a bush. Then went and sat opposite but by
the place at the distance of a bowshot, she said, "Let me not see him die."
As she sat opposite the spot, the child cried aloud, and God heard 
	his cry,
and the angel of God called to Agar from heaven, "What is the matter?
	Fear not. For I
have heard the boy's cry in this plight of his. Rise up, take the boy,
	be assured
in his regard, for I will make him a great nation," restating God's word.
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well. She filled her bottle 
	and gave
the boy a drink. God was with the boy, and he grew and was very brave.
He lived in the desert of Pharan and became an expert archer 
	where he roamed,
and his mother chose a wife for him from the land of Egypt, her home.



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