ren and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, 2 whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall 'obtain child-Heb. be ren by her. And Abram hearkened to the builded by her. 3 voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to 4 be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her 5 eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom: and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD 6 judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine eyes. And Sarai dealt hardly with her, and she fled from 7 her face. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, 8 by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, 9 I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her 10 hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it II shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name 'Ishmael, because the LORD That is, 12 hath heard thy affliction. And he shall be as a wild-ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; God heareth. 1 Or, over against of 2 Or, Thou God seest me and he shall dwell in the presence of all his Or, to the east brethren. And she called the name of the 13 LORD that spake unto her, "Thou art a God that seeth for she said, Have I even here 3 Heb. El roi, looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore 14 that is, God of the well was called 'Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is seeing. between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare 15 The well of the Abram a son: and Abram called the name living one who seeth me. of his son, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And 16 Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. 4 That is, 5 Heb. El Shaddai. I And when Abram was ninety years old and 17 nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am 'God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my 2 covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: 3 and God talked with him, saying, As for me, 4 behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou Ishalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called 5 Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, 6 and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish 7 my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto 8 thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, 9 thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, be- 10 tween me and you and thy seed after thee; II every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant 12 betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any 13 stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an ever14 lasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. 15 Princess. And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, 16 but 1Sarah shall her name be. And I will That is, bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be 17 of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael 19 might live before thee! And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name 'Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlast20 ing covenant for his seed after him. And as laugh. for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great 21 nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this 22 set time in the next year. And he left off 2 From the Heb. word meaning to 1 Or, terebinths talking with him, and God went up from And the LORD appeared unto him by the 18 'oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lift up his eyes and 2 looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to 2 Or, O Lord the earth, and said, 'My lord, if now I have 3 found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let now a little water 4 be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: and I will fetch a morsel 5 of bread, and comfort ye your heart; after that shall pass on: 'forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent 6 unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and 7 fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf 8 which he had dressed, and set it before them; 3 Or, for therefore ye and he stood by them under the tree, and they 9 did eat. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the 10 tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season 'cometh round; and, lo, 1 Heb. liveth, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah or, reviveth. heard in the tent door, which was behind him. II Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with 12 Sarah after the manner of women. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being 13 old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of 14 a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the set 2 Or, time I will return unto thee, when the season wonderful 'cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went 17 with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that 18 which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the end that he See Amos may command his children and his household iii. 2. after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgement; to the end that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that 4 20 which he hath spoken of him. And the Lord said, 'Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah Or, Verily is great, and 'because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, VOL. I. C |