(1) Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. (2) And Sarai said to Abram, “Look, יהוה has kept me from bearing. Consort with my maid; perhaps I shall have a child through her.” And Abram heeded Sarai’s request. (3) So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian—after Abram had dwelt in the land of Canaan ten years—and gave her to her husband Abram as concubine. (4) He cohabited with Hagar and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lowered in her esteem. (5) And Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong done me is your fault! I myself put my maid in your bosom; now that she sees that she is pregnant, I am lowered in her esteem. יהוה decide between you and me!” (6) Abram said to Sarai, “Your maid is in your hands. Deal with her as you think right.” Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her.

(7) A messenger of יהוה found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur, (8) and said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.” (9) And the messenger of יהוה said to her, “Go back to your mistress, and submit to her harsh treatment.”

(10) And the messenger of יהוה said to her, “I will greatly increase your offspring, And they shall be too many to count.” (11) The messenger of יהוה said to her further, “Behold, you are pregnant And shall bear a son; You shall call him Ishmael, For יהוה has paid heed to your suffering. (12) He shall be a wild ass of a person; His hand against everyone, And everyone’s hand against him; He shall dwell alongside of all his kin.” (13) And she called יהוה who spoke to her, “You Are El-roi,” by which she meant, “Have I not gone on seeing after my being seen!” (14) Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it is between Kadesh and Bered.— (15) Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram gave the son that Hagar bore him the name Ishmael. (16) Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

(1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, יהוה appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless. (2) I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous.” (3) Abram threw himself on his face; and God spoke to him further, (4) “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. (5) And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations. (6) I will make you exceedingly fertile, and make nations of you; and kings shall come forth from you.

(7) I will maintain My covenant between Me and you, and your offspring to come, as an everlasting covenant throughout the ages, to be God to you and to your offspring to come. (8) I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding. I will be their God.” (9) God further said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring to come throughout the ages shall keep My covenant. (10) Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. (11) You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. (12) And throughout the generations, every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days. As for the homeborn slave and the one bought from an outsider who is not of your offspring, (13) they must be circumcised, homeborn and purchased alike. Thus shall My covenant be marked in your flesh as an everlasting pact. (14) And if any male who is uncircumcised fails to circumcise the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from kin; he has broken My covenant.” (15) And God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah. (16) I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her.” (17) Abraham threw himself on his face and laughed, as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?”

(18) And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live by Your favor!” (19) God said, “Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac; and I will maintain My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring to come. (20) As for Ishmael, I have heeded you. I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and exceedingly numerous. He shall be the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation. (21) But My covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.” (22) Done speaking with him, God was gone from Abraham. (23) Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all his homeborn slaves and all those he had bought, every male in Abraham’s household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that very day, as God had spoken to him.

(24) Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, (25) and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (26) Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day; (27) and all [men of] his household, his homeborn slaves and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him.

(24) Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, (25) and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. (26) Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day; (27) and all [men of] his household, his homeborn slaves and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him.

(27) Why do you say, O Jacob, Why declare, O Israel, “My way is hid from GOD, My cause is ignored by my God”? (28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The ETERNAL is God from of old, Creator of the earth from end to end, Who never grows faint or weary, Whose wisdom cannot be fathomed— (29) Who gives strength to the weary, Fresh vigor to the spent. (30) Youths may grow faint and weary, And young men stumble and fall; (31) But they who trust in GOD shall renew their strength As eagles grow new plumes: They shall run and not grow weary, They shall march and not grow faint. (1) Stand silent before Me, coastlands, And let nations renew their strength. Let them approach to state their case; Let us come forward together for argument. (2) Who has roused a victor from the East, Summoned him to God’s service? Has delivered up nations to him, And trodden sovereigns down? Has rendered their swords like dust, Their bows like wind-blown straw? (3) He pursues them, he goes on unscathed; No shackle is placed on his feet. (4) Who has wrought and achieved this? The One who announced the generations from the start— I, GOD, who was first And will be with the last as well. (5) The coastlands look on in fear, The ends of earth tremble. The craftsmen draw near and come; (6) Each one helps the other, Saying to his fellow, “Take courage!” (7) The woodworker encourages the smith; He who flattens with the hammer [Encourages] him who pounds the anvil. He says of the riveting, “It is good!” And he fixes it with nails, That it may not topple. (8) But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend— (9) You whom I drew from the ends of the earth And called from its far corners, To whom I said: You are My servant; I chose you, I have not rejected you— (10) Fear not, for I am with you, Be not frightened, for I am your God; I strengthen you and I help you, I uphold you with My victorious right hand. (11) Shamed and chagrined shall be All who contend with you; They who strive with you Shall become as naught and shall perish. (12) You may seek, but shall not find Those who struggle with you; Less than nothing shall be The men who battle against you. (13) For I the ETERNAL One am your God, Who grasped your right hand, Who say to you: Have no fear; I will be your help. (14) Fear not, O worm Jacob, O men of Israel: I will help you —declares GOD— I your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (15) I will make of you a threshing board, A new thresher, with many spikes; You shall thresh mountains to dust, And make hills like chaff. (16) You shall winnow them And the wind shall carry them off; The whirlwind shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in GOD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel.

(8) But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend— (9) You whom I drew from the ends of the earth And called from its far corners, To whom I said: You are My servant; I chose you, I have not rejected you— (10) Fear not, for I am with you, Be not frightened, for I am your God; I strengthen you and I help you, I uphold you with My victorious right hand. (11) Shamed and chagrined shall be All who contend with you; They who strive with you Shall become as naught and shall perish. (12) You may seek, but shall not find Those who struggle with you; Less than nothing shall be The men who battle against you. (13) For I the ETERNAL One am your God, Who grasped your right hand, Who say to you: Have no fear; I will be your help. (14) Fear not, O worm Jacob, O men of Israel: I will help you —declares GOD— I your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (15) I will make of you a threshing board, A new thresher, with many spikes; You shall thresh mountains to dust, And make hills like chaff. (16) You shall winnow them And the wind shall carry them off; The whirlwind shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in GOD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel.