Sarah Has Abraham Send Hagar and Ishmael Away

21:8-21

8 Isaac grew as a child and reached the age when his mother stopped nursing him. When that happened, Abraham held a big feast to celebrate. 9 But during the feast Sarah noticed that Ishmael, the son of her Egyptian handmaid Hagar and Abraham, was making fun of Isaac. 10 So she was angry and told Abraham, “Get rid of that servant woman and her son! Her son must never share any part of what my son Isaac inherits from you!” 11 Abraham was very upset about that, because Ishmael was also his son and he cared about him too. 12 But God told him, “Do not be upset about the boy or your servant woman. Rather, listen to everything Sarah tells you to do, and do it, because Isaac is the one who will be the ancestor of your descendants whom I promised to you. 13 But I will also make your servant woman’s son become the ancestor of a large people group, because he is your son.”

14 Early the next morning Abraham got up, brought some food and a leather container full of water to Hagar and put them on her back. Then he sent her off with the boy, and they left and wandered around in the desert near the city of Beersheba. 15 When they had finished all the water in the container, she left her son under the shade of a bush. 16 She thought to herself, “I cannot bear to watch my son die.” So she went away from him and sat down by herself, about as far away as someone can shoot an arrow. Then she started crying loudly.

17 God also heard the boy crying, so one of his angels called to Hagar from heaven and said, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying over there and will take care of him. 18 So go help the boy to get up, and take care of him, because I Yahweh will make him become the ancestor of a large people group.” 19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a water well. So she went over to the well, filled her water container with water, and gave her son some water to drink.

20 As the boy grew up, God was with him and helped him. He lived in the Paran Desert and learned to hunt skillfully with a bow and arrows. 21 While he was there, his mother found a wife for him who was from the country of Egypt.