Beresheet, starting at chapter 16
{16:1} Now Sarai, Avram's wife, bore him no children. She had a
handmaid, a Mitzrian, whose name was Hagar. {16:2} Sarai said to
Avram," See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing. Please go in
to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Avram
listened to the voice of Sarai. {16:3} Sarai, Avram's wife, took Hagar
the Mitzrian, her handmaid, after Avram had lived ten years in the
land of Kana`an, and gave her to Avram her husband to be his wife.
{16:4} He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she
had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. {16:5} Sarai
said to Avram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your
bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her
eyes. The LORD judge between me and you."
{16:6} But Avram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand.
Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with
her, and she fled from her face.
{16:7} The angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the
wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. {16:8} He said,
"Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you
going?"
She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."
{16:9} The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress,
and submit yourself under her hands." {16:10} The angel of the LORD
said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be
numbered for multitude." {16:11} The angel of the LORD said to her,
"Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his
name Yishma'el, because the LORD has heard your affliction. {16:12} He
will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every
man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of
his brothers."
{16:13} She called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a
God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing
him?" {16:14} Therefore the well was called Be'er-Lachai-Ro'i. Behold,
it is between Kadesh and Bered.
{16:15} Hagar bore a son for Avram. Avram called the name of his
son, whom Hagar bore, Yishma'el. {16:16} Avram was eighty-six years
old, when Hagar bore Yishma'el to Avram.
{17:1} When Avram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to
Avram, and said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Walk before me, and be
blameless. {17:2} I will make my covenant between me and you, and will
multiply you exceedingly."
{17:3} Avram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, {17:4}
"As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of
a multitude of nations. {17:5} Neither will your name any more be
called Avram, but your name will be Avraham; for the father of a
multitude of nations have I made you. {17:6} I will make you exceeding
fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
{17:7} I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed
after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to
be a God to you and to your seed after you. {17:8} I will give to you,
and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the
land of Kana`an, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."
{17:9} God said to Avraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant,
you and your seed after you throughout their generations. {17:10} This
is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed
after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. {17:11} You
shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token
of a covenant between me and you. {17:12} He who is eight days old
will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations,
he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who
is not of your seed. {17:13} He who is born in your house, and he who
is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in
your flesh for an everlasting covenant. {17:14} The uncircumcised male
who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall
be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."
{17:15} God said to Avraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not
call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. {17:16} I will bless
her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her,
and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from
her."
{17:17} Then Avraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his
heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will
Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?" {17:18} Avraham said to
God, "Oh that Yishma'el might live before you!"
{17:19} God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son.
You shall call his name Yitzchak. I will establish my covenant with
him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. {17:20} As for
Yishma'el, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make
him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the
father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. {17:21}
But my covenant I establish with Yitzchak, whom Sarah will bear to you
at this set time in the next year."
{17:22} When he finished talking with him, God went up from Avraham.
{17:23} Avraham took Yishma'el his son, all who were born in his
house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the
men of Avraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in
the same day, as God had said to him. {17:24} Avraham was ninety-nine
years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
{17:25} Yishma'el, his son, was thirteen years old when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. {17:26} In the same day both
Avraham and Yishma'el, his son, were circumcised. {17:27} All the men
of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of
a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
{18:1} The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in
the tent door in the heat of the day. {18:2} He lifted up his eyes and
looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them,
he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the
[1>]eretz[<1], {18:3} and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in
your sight, please don't go away from your servant. {18:4} Now let a
little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the
tree. {18:5} I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your
heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your
servant."
They said, "Very well, do as you have said."
{18:6} Avraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly
make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
{18:7} Avraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf,
and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. {18:8} He took
butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before
them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
{18:9} They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?
He said, "See, in the tent."
{18:10} He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season
comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son."
Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. {18:11} Now
Avraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. It had ceased to be
with Sarah after the manner of women. {18:12} Sarah laughed within
herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord
being old also?"
{18:13} The LORD said to Avraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying,
'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?' {18:14} Is anything too
hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the
season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."
{18:15} Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was
afraid."
He said, "No, but you did laugh."
{18:16} The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sedom. Avraham
went with them to see them on their way. {18:17} The LORD said, "Will
I hide from Avraham what I do, {18:18} seeing that Avraham has surely
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the
[2>]eretz[<2] will be blessed in him? {18:19} For I have known him, to
the end that he may command his children and his household after him,
that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and
justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Avraham that which he
has spoken of him." {18:20} The LORD said, "Because the cry of Sedom
and `Amorah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, {18:21}
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether
according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know."
{18:22} The men turned from there, and went toward Sedom, but
Avraham stood yet before the LORD. {18:23} Avraham drew near, and
said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? {18:24} What if
there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not
spare the place for the fifty righteous who are therein? {18:25} Be it
far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the
wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked. May that be far
from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the [3>]eretz[<3] do right?"
{18:26} The LORD said, "If I find in Sedom fifty righteous within
the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake." {18:27}
Avraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the
Lord, who am but dust and ashes. {18:28} What if there will lack five
of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of
five?"
He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
{18:29} He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are
forty found there?"
He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
{18:30} He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak.
What if there are thirty found there?"
He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
{18:31} He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the
Lord. What if there are twenty found there?"
He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."
{18:32} He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak
yet but this once. What if ten are found there?"
He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
{18:33} The LORD went his way, as soon as he had finished communing
with Avraham, and Avraham returned to his place.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {18:2} earth
[2] {18:18} earth
[3] {18:25} earth
________________________________________________________________________
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