Genesis 21

New International Version

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah^(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^(B) ²Sarah became pregnant and bore a son^(C) to Abraham in his old age,^(D) at the very time God had promised him.^(E) ³Abraham gave the name Isaac^[a]^(F) to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,^(G) as God commanded him. ⁵Abraham was a hundred years old^(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,^(I) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”^(J)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸The child grew and was weaned,^(K) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham^(L) was mocking,^(M) ¹⁰and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman^(N) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”^(O)

¹¹The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.^(P) ¹²But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring^[b] will be reckoned.^(Q) ¹³I will make the son of the slave into a nation^(R) also, because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.^(S) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.^(T)

¹⁵When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she^[c] began to sob.^(U)

¹⁷God heard the boy crying,^(V) and the angel of God^(W) called to Hagar from heaven^(X) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;^(Y) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.^(Z)”

¹⁹Then God opened her eyes^(AA) and she saw a well of water.^(AB) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰God was with the boy^(AC) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹While he was living in the Desert of Paran,^(AD) his mother got a wife for him^(AE) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

²²At that time Abimelek^(AF) and Phicol the commander of his forces^(AG) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.^(AH) ²³Now swear^(AI) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.^(AJ) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”^(AK)

²⁴Abraham said, “I swear it.”

²⁵Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.^(AL) ²⁶But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

²⁷So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.^(AM) ²⁸Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, ²⁹and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

³⁰He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness^(AN) that I dug this well.^(AO)”

³¹So that place was called Beersheba,^[d]^(AP) because the two men swore an oath^(AQ) there.

³²After the treaty^(AR) had been made at Beersheba,^(AS) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces^(AT) returned to the land of the Philistines.^(AU) ³³Abraham planted a tamarisk tree^(AV) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,^(AW) the Eternal God.^(AX) ³⁴And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines^(AY) for a long time.

Footnotes

Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
Genesis 21:12 Or seed
Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.

Nehemiah 10

New International Version

10 ^[a]Those who sealed it were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.

Zedekiah, ²Seraiah,^(A) Azariah, Jeremiah,

³Pashhur,^(B) Amariah, Malkijah,

⁴Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,

⁵Harim,^(C) Meremoth, Obadiah,

⁶Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

⁸Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.^(D)

⁹The Levites:^(E)

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

¹⁰and their associates: Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

¹¹Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,

¹²Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

¹³Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

¹⁴The leaders of the people:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

¹⁵Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

¹⁶Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,^(F)

¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

¹⁸Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,^(G)

²¹Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

²³Hoshea, Hananiah,^(H) Hasshub,

²⁴Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

²⁵Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

²⁶Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

²⁷Malluk, Harim and Baanah.

²⁸“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants^(I) and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples^(J) for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— ²⁹all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath^(K) to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

³⁰“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.^(L)

³¹“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath,^(M) we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land^(N) and will cancel all debts.^(O)

³²“We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel^[b] each year for the service of the house of our God: ³³for the bread set out on the table;^(P) for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon^(Q) feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings^[c] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.^(R)

³⁴“We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots^(S) to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood^(T) to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

³⁵“We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits^(U) of our crops and of every fruit tree.^(V)

³⁶“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn^(W) of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.^(X)

³⁷“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil.^(Y) And we will bring a tithe^(Z) of our crops to the Levites,^(AA) for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.^(AB) ³⁸A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes^(AC) up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. ³⁹The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”^(AD)

Footnotes

Nehemiah 10:1 In Hebrew texts 10:1-39 is numbered 10:2-40.
Nehemiah 10:32 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
Nehemiah 10:33 Or purification offerings

Psalm 20

New International Version

Psalm 20^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;^(A)
    may the name of the God of Jacob^(B) protect you.^(C)
²May he send you help^(D) from the sanctuary^(E)
    and grant you support^(F) from Zion.^(G)
³May he remember^(H) all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.^[b]^(I)
⁴May he give you the desire of your heart^(J)
    and make all your plans succeed.^(K)
⁵May we shout for joy^(L) over your victory
    and lift up our banners^(M) in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.^(N)

⁶Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.^(O)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.^(P)
⁷Some trust in chariots^(Q) and some in horses,^(R)
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.^(S)
⁸They are brought to their knees and fall,^(T)
    but we rise up^(U) and stand firm.^(V)
⁹Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us^(W) when we call!