The Lord Promises Abraham a Son

18 One hot summer afternoon while Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, the Lord appeared to him. ^2 (A) Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, ³ and said, “Please come to my home where I can serve you. ⁴ I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under a tree. ⁵ Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you.”

“Thank you very much,” they answered. “We accept your offer.”

⁶ Abraham went quickly to his tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread.” ⁷ After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. ⁸ He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.

While they were eating, he stood near them under the tree, ⁹ and they asked, “Where's your wife Sarah?”

“She is right there in the tent,” Abraham answered.

^10 (B) One of the guests was the Lord, and he said, “I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son.”

Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. ^12 (C) So she laughed and said to herself, “Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?”^[a]

¹³ The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? ^14 (D) I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.”

¹⁵ Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, “I didn't laugh.”

“Yes, you did!” he answered.

Sarah Has a Son

21 The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. ^2 (A) Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. ³ Abraham named his son Isaac, ^4 (B) and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had commanded.

⁵ Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, ⁶ and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.^[a] And now everyone will laugh with me. ⁷ Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”