Isaac's Birth Promised

Genesis 17

15 And God saith unto Abraham, `Sarai thy wife -- thou dost not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [is] her name; 16 and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations -- kings of peoples are from her.' 17 And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, `To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah -- daughter of ninety years -- bear?' 18 And Abraham saith unto God, `O that Ishmael may live before Thee;' 19 and God saith, `Sarah thy wife is certainly bearing a son to thee, and thou hast called his name Isaac, and I have established My covenant with him, for a covenant age-during, to his seed after him. 20 As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation; 21 and My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah doth bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year;'

22 and He finisheth speaking with him, and God goeth up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham taketh Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those bought with his money -- every male among the men of Abraham's house -- and circumciseth the flesh of their foreskin, in this self-same day, as God hath spoken with him. 24 And Abraham [is] a son of ninety and nine years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised; 25 and Ishmael his son [is] a son of thirteen years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised; 26 in this self-same day hath Abraham been circumcised, and Ishmael his son; 27 and all the men of his house -- born in the house, and bought with money from the son of a stranger -- have been circumcised with him.

Genesis 18

1 And Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day; 2 and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth, 3 And he saith, `My Lord, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, do not, I pray thee, pass on from thy servant; 4 let, I pray thee, a little water be accepted, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree; 5 and I bring a piece of bread, and support ye your heart; afterwards pass on, for therefore have ye passed over unto your servant;' and they say, `So mayest thou do as thou has spoken.' 6 And Abraham hasteth towards the tent, unto Sarah, and saith, `Hasten three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes;' 7 and Abraham ran unto the herd, and taketh a son of the herd, tender and good, and giveth unto the young man, and he hasteth to prepare it; 8 and he taketh butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he hath prepared, and setteth before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they do eat.

9 And they say unto him, `Where [is] Sarah thy wife?' and he saith, `Lo -- in the tent;' 10 and he saith, `returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.' 11 And Sarah is hearkening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him; 12 and Abraham and Sarah [are] aged, entering into days -- the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah; 13 and Sarah laugheth in her heart, saying, `After I have waxed old I have had pleasure! -- my lord also [is] old!' 14 And Jehovah saith unto Abraham, `Why [is] this? Sarah hath laughed, saying, Is it true really -- I bear -- and I am aged? Is any thing too wonderful for Jehovah? at the appointed time I return unto thee, about the time of life, and Sarah hath a son.' 15 And Sarah denieth, saying, `I did not laugh;' for she hath been afraid; and He saith, `Nay, but thou didst laugh.'

16 And the men rise from thence, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away; 17 and Jehovah said, `Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing, 18 and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth? 19 for I have known him, that he commandeth his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of Jehovah), to do righteousness and judgment, that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.' 20 And Jehovah saith, `The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah -- because great; and their sin -- because exceeding grievous: 21 I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely -- and if not -- I know;'

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