Genesis 21 - Plain English Version(PEV)

Abraham and Sarah had a son, Isaac

1God was good to Sarah, and he kept his promise to her,

2and a baby started to grow inside her. Then that baby boy was born at the time that God said he would be born. Abraham was an old man, and that baby was a son for Abraham.

5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

6Sarah said, “God is giving me something to laugh about now, and everyone that hears this story will be happy with me, and they will laugh too.”

7She also said, “Nobody reckoned that I can ever have a kid. But look, now Abraham is old, and I had a son for him.”

Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away from his camp

8When Isaac was about 3 years old, he stopped drinking Sarah’s milk, and Abraham gave him a big party.

9Then Sarah saw Ishmael laughing at Isaac. Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar. Hagar was Sarah’s worker, and she was from Egypt country.

10Then Sarah said to Abraham, “When you die, my son Isaac has to get all your things. I don’t want Ishmael to get anything, he is just the son of a worker woman. So you have to tell that woman and her son to get out of our camp. Send them right away from here.”

11Abraham was really upset by what Sarah said. Ishmael was his son, so Abraham reckoned it was wrong to send him away.

12But God said to Abraham, “Don’t worry about Ishmael or his mother. You see, the family that I promised you will come from Isaac, not from Ishmael. So listen to Sarah, and do what she says.

24So Abraham made that promise to Abimelek. He said those words in the way that Abimelek wanted.

25But then Abraham also complained to Abimelek. He said, “I’ve got a problem. Some of your workers took one of my water-holes, and then they stopped my workers from getting any water there.”

26Abimelek said, “I’m sorry, Abraham. I don’t know who did that. I never heard about it, and you didn’t tell me about it until now.”

27At that time, Abraham gave Abimelek some of his sheep, and goats, and cows, and the 2 men made strong promises to each other.

28Then Abraham also picked out 7 young female sheep from his animals, and he put them to one side.

29Abimelek asked him, “Why did you put these 7 sheep to one side? What do you mean by that?”

30Abraham said, “I want to give you these sheep as a special present. Take them. That’s how you can show people that you agree with me, that I dug that water-hole and that I own it.”

31From that time on, that place was called Beersheba. That name means water-hole where they made a promise. It was where Abraham and Abimelek made strong promises to each other.

32After they made those promises, Abimelek and Ficol went back to their home, in Philistia country.

33Then Abraham showed respect to God there in Beersheba. He called God by his special name Yahweh, and he planted a special tree to remember that place. Yahweh is the true God that lives for ever.

34Abraham and all his people lived for a long time in the country that belonged to the Philistia mob.