Abraham

26Terah was 70 years old when his sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran were born.

And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

NoteAbram is the same man who is later given the name Abraham.

27This is the family line of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.

Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.

28Haran died while his father Terah was still alive. He died in the land where he was born, in Ur of the Chaldees.

And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

NoteUr was a big, busy city near a river, with high walls and lots of people. The Chaldees were the people who lived in that part of the world.

29Abram and Nahor each took a wife. Abram's wife was named Sarai. Nahor's wife was named Milcah. Milcah was the daughter of Haran, and Haran was also the father of Iscah.

And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

NoteLong ago, people often married someone from their own big family, like a cousin. Milcah married her uncle Nahor.

30But Sarai could not have babies. She had no child.

But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31Terah took his son Abram. He took his grandson Lot, the son of Haran. He took Sarai, his daughter-in-law, who was Abram's wife. Together they left Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan. But they came to a place called Haran, and they lived there.

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

NoteCanaan was a land far to the west, near the sea. Careful: Haran here is a town, not the brother who died. The man and the town have names that look the same in English.

32Terah lived 205 years. Terah died in Haran.

And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

1The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country. Leave your relatives and your father's house. Go to a land that I will show you.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

NoteWhen you see LORD in capital letters, it stands for God's own name. Abram is the same man who is later called Abraham.

2I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing.

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

NoteA nation is a very big group of people who share one land. To bless someone means to be good to them and help them.

3I will bless those who bless you. I will curse anyone who curses you. Through you, all the families on earth will be blessed."

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

NoteTo curse someone is the opposite of blessing them. It means to wish bad things on them.

4So Abram left, just as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

NoteHaran was a city far away where Abram's family had been living. Lot was Abram's nephew, the son of his brother.

5Abram took his wife Sarai and Lot, his brother's son. He took everything they had gathered. He took the people they had gained in Haran. They set out for the land of Canaan, and they came to it.

And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

NoteCanaan was the land where Abram was going. The "people they had gained" were servants who worked for them and traveled with them.

6Abram traveled through the land to the place called Sichem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time.

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

NoteSichem is a town. It is also spelled Shechem in other Bibles. A big old oak tree was easy to see, so people used one as a meeting place. The Canaanites were the people already living in that land.

7The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your family who comes after you." So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

NoteAn altar is a pile of stones built to give gifts to God. "Thy seed" in the old wording means the children and grandchildren born long after him.

8From there he moved to a mountain east of Bethel and set up his tent. Bethel was to the west, and Hai was to the east. There he built another altar to the LORD. And he called on the name of the LORD.

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

NoteAbram lived in a tent, not a house, so he could move with his animals. Bethel and Hai were two towns. To call on the name of the LORD means to pray to God out loud.

9Abram kept traveling, going on toward the south.

And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

NoteThe south here means the dry, sandy land at the bottom of Canaan. Very few people lived there.

10There was a famine in the land. Food was very hard to find. So Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while, because the famine was very bad.

And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

NoteA famine is a long time when the rain does not come and food will not grow. Egypt had a big river, so food still grew there when other lands went dry.

11When he was almost in Egypt, he spoke to his wife Sarai. He said, "Look, I know you are a beautiful woman.

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

NoteIn those days a king could take a woman he liked to be his wife. If she already had a husband, the husband was in danger.

13Please say that you are my sister. Then things will go well for me because of you. My life will be spared because of you."

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

NoteSarai really was Abram's half sister. They had the same father but different mothers. So what he asked her to say was partly true, but it hid the most important part.

14When Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman. They saw that she was very beautiful.

And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

15The important men of Pharaoh saw her too. They spoke well of her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

NotePharaoh was the name for the king of Egypt. Every king there was called Pharaoh. Being taken into his house meant she was to become one of his wives.

16Pharaoh was good to Abram because of her. Abram came to have sheep, cattle, male donkeys, men servants, women servants, female donkeys, and camels.

And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

NoteBack then people did not keep money in a bank. Sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels were what it meant to be rich.

17But the LORD struck Pharaoh and everyone in his house with great troubles. This was because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.

Note"Great plagues" means bad sickness and trouble sent all at once.

18So Pharaoh called for Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was your wife?

And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

19Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? That is why I took her to be my wife. Now here is your wife. Take her and go."

Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

20Then Pharaoh gave orders to his men about Abram. They sent him away, with his wife and everything he had.

And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

1Abram left Egypt and went up into the dry land in the south. His wife went with him. So did Lot, and everything Abram owned.

And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

NoteEgypt was a big country far to the south, along a great river. Abram had gone there when food ran out where he lived. The dry land in the south is a hot place with sand, rocks, and little rain.

2Abram had become very rich. He had many animals, and much silver and gold.

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

NoteLong ago people did not keep money in a bank. A rich man was one who owned many animals, plus silver and gold.

3He traveled from place to place, from the south all the way to Bethel. He came back to the spot between Bethel and Hai. His tent had stood there before.

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

NoteBethel and Hai were small towns. Abram lived in a tent, so he could fold it up and move. He was going back to a spot he knew before.

4It was the place where he had built an altar before. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

NoteAn altar is a pile of stones built for giving gifts to God. "Called on the name of the LORD" means he prayed to God out loud. LORD in big letters stands for God's own special name.

5Lot traveled with Abram. Lot also had flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and tents.

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

NoteA flock is a group of sheep and goats. A herd is a group of cows. Lot had many animals too.

6The land could not support them both while they stayed together. They owned so much that they could not live in one place.

And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

NoteAnimals eat grass and drink water every day. So many animals in one place would eat all the grass. There was not enough for both families.

7The men who kept Abram's animals argued with the men who kept Lot's animals. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in that land too.

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

NoteHerdsmen were men whose job was watching the animals. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were families of people already living in that land. Abram and Lot were guests there.

8Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no fighting between you and me. Let there be no fighting between your herdsmen and mine. We are brothers."

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

NoteLot was really Abram's nephew, his brother's son. Back then close family often called each other brothers.

9"Isn't the whole land right in front of you? Please move away from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left."

Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

NoteAbram let Lot pick his land first. Usually the older man chose first. People there faced east when they pointed, so left meant north and right meant south.

10Lot looked up and saw the whole plain of the Jordan River. It had plenty of water everywhere, all the way to Zoar. It was like the garden of the LORD, and like the land of Egypt. This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

NoteA plain is wide, flat land. The Jordan is a river, and land near a river grows green. The garden of the LORD means the beautiful garden at the very start of the Bible. Zoar, Sodom, and Gomorrah were towns on that flat land.

11Then Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east. The two men went apart from each other.

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12Abram lived in the land of Canaan. Lot lived in the towns on the plain. He set up his tent as far as Sodom.

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

NoteCanaan was the land God had promised to give Abram. Lot moved his tent closer and closer to the town of Sodom.

13But the men of Sodom were very bad. They sinned against the LORD very much.

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

NoteTo sin means to do what God says is wrong. The people of Sodom did wrong things all the time.

14After Lot had gone away, the LORD said to Abram, "Look up from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west."

And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15"All the land you see, I will give to you. I will give it to your family after you, forever."

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

NoteThe King James Bible says "thy seed". Seed here does not mean a plant seed. It means his children, and their children, on and on.

16"I will make your family as many as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your family could be counted too."

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

NoteDust is too tiny to count. God was saying Abram's family would grow far too big to count.

17"Get up. Walk through the land, the long way and the wide way. I will give it to you."

Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

NoteThe long way and the wide way means all the way across, both ways. Walking all over a land was how a person showed it was his.

18Then Abram moved his tent. He went to live by the big trees of Mamre, at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.

Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

NoteMamre was a place with big old oak trees. Hebron was a town in that land. Abram built an altar there, a pile of stones for giving gifts to God.

13One man got away and came and told Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite. Mamre was the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. These men had an agreement with Abram to help each other.

And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

NoteHebrew was the name for Abram and the family that came from him.

14Abram heard that his relative had been taken away. So he got his trained servants ready to go. There were 318 of them, all born in his own house. He went after the kings as far as the town of Dan.

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

NoteThese servants had been born in Abram's camp and grew up there. They were part of his big household.

15In the night Abram split his men into groups. He and his servants attacked the kings and beat them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

NoteDamascus is a very old city. It was far to the north of Abram's home.

16He brought back all the goods. He brought back his relative Lot and Lot's things too. He brought back the women and the other people as well.

And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17Abram came back from beating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him. They met in the Valley of Shaveh, which is called the King's Valley.

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

18Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of the Most High God.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

NoteA priest was a person whose job was to serve God and pray for people.

19Melchizedek blessed Abram. He said, "May the Most High God bless Abram. God owns the heavens and the earth."

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

NoteTo bless someone means to ask God to be good to them.

20"And blessed be the Most High God. He has handed your enemies over to you." Then Abram gave Melchizedek one part out of every ten that he had.

And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

NoteAbram had ten of something, so he gave one away. That kind of gift to God is called a tithe.

21The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people. You may keep the goods for yourself."

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

NoteThe people were the ones taken away from Sodom. The king wanted them home again.

22Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD and made a promise. He is the Most High God, and he owns the heavens and the earth."

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

NoteLong ago a person lifted one hand up to show a promise was serious.

23"I will not take even a thread from you, or a strap from a sandal. I will not take anything at all that is yours. Then you can never say, 'I made Abram rich.'"

That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

NoteA thread and a sandal strap are tiny, cheap things. Abram means he will not take even the smallest thing.

24"I will take only the food my young men have already eaten. And the men who went with me may take their share. Those men are Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their part."

Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

NoteAfter a fight, the men who helped usually kept some of what they brought back. Abram let his friends do that.

1After these things, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, a picture God gave him to see. God said, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield. I am your very great reward."

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

NoteThe King James writes LORD in big letters for God's own special name. A vision is like a dream you have while you are awake. A shield is a big flat thing soldiers hold to keep safe.

2Abram said, "Lord GOD, what can you give me? I have no children. Eliezer of Damascus is the one who takes care of my house."

And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

NoteAbram's real name later becomes Abraham. Eliezer was a servant who ran Abram's whole house for him. Damascus was a city far to the north. Long ago, a man with no children could leave everything to a trusted servant.

3Abram also said, "Look, you have given me no children. A servant born in my house will get everything I own."

And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

NoteThe King James says "no seed." Seed here does not mean plant seeds. It means children, and their children after them.

4Then the LORD spoke to him. He said, "This man will not get what you own. A son from your own body will get it."

And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

NoteThe King James says "out of thine own bowels." That is an old way of saying a son born from Abram himself.

5God brought Abram outside. He said, "Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can count them." Then he said, "That is how many people will come from you."

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

NoteThe King James says "tell the stars." Long ago, tell could mean count. Abram is asked to count them, not talk to them.

6Abram believed the LORD. And the LORD counted that as making Abram right.

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

NoteCounted here is like adding something up in a list. The King James word is "righteousness." It means being right and good in God's eyes.

7God said to him, "I am the LORD. I brought you out of Ur, the city of the Chaldeans. I brought you out to give you this land to be your own."

And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

NoteUr was a big, busy city far away, where Abram lived when he was young. The Chaldeans were the people who lived there.

8Abram said, "Lord GOD, how can I know that this land will be mine?"

And he said, LORD God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9God said to him, "Bring me a young cow that is three years old. Bring a female goat three years old and a male sheep three years old. Bring a turtledove and a young pigeon too."

And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

NoteA heifer is a young cow that has not had a calf yet. A ram is a grown male sheep. A turtledove is a small wild bird, a kind of dove. It is not a turtle at all.

10Abram brought God all of these animals. He cut each one in two down the middle. He laid the halves across from each other. But he did not cut the birds in two.

And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

NoteLong ago this was how people made a very serious promise. They cut animals in two and laid the halves apart. Then they walked between the pieces to show they meant it.

11Birds came down onto the dead animals. Abram chased them away.

And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

NoteThe King James says "fowls." That just means birds. These were big birds that eat dead animals.

12When the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. A great darkness and a terrible fear came over him.

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13God said to Abram, "Know this for sure. The people who come after you will live in a land that is not theirs. They will serve the people of that land. Those people will treat them badly for four hundred years."

And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

NoteTo serve them here means to be slaves. They would be forced to work hard for other people.

14"But I will judge that nation your people will serve. After that, your people will come out with many things."

And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15"You yourself will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried when you are very old."

And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Note"Go to thy fathers" is a gentle old way of saying he will die. His family who died before him were buried in the same place.

16"In the fourth family after you, your people will come back here. The wrong things the Amorites do are not yet full."

But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

NoteA generation is one set of parents and their children growing up. The Amorites were a group of people living in that land. The King James says their "iniquity is not yet full." Iniquity means wrong things. Full is like a cup filling up slowly, drop by drop.

17The sun went down and it grew dark. Then a smoking oven and a burning lamp moved between the pieces of the animals.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

NoteA furnace here was a clay pot with hot fire burning inside it. The lamp was a small burning torch. They moved between the pieces the way two people would when making a promise.

18That same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram. God said, "I have given this land to the people who come after you. It reaches from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates."

In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

NoteA covenant is a strong promise between two sides. Once made, it is meant to be kept forever. The Euphrates is a very long, wide river far to the north and east.

19"It is the land where the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites live."

The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

NoteThese are the names of groups of people living in that land then. Each name is like a family that grew very big.

20"It is the land of the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Rephaims."

And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21"It is the land of the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

1Sarai was Abram's wife. She had not given him any children. She had a servant woman from Egypt named Hagar.

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

NoteA servant woman worked for Sarai and had to do what Sarai told her. Egypt was a country far away to the south.

2Sarai said to Abram, "Look, the LORD has kept me from having children. Please sleep with my servant Hagar. Maybe I can have a family through her." Abram did what Sarai said.

And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

NoteLong ago, a wife with no children sometimes let her servant have a baby instead. The baby would then be counted as the wife's own child. Also, when you see LORD in big letters, it is God's own special name.

3Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. Then his wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar. She gave Hagar to her husband Abram to be his wife.

And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

NoteCanaan was the land God had promised to give Abram. In those days a man could have more than one wife. Hagar became Abram's wife, but she was still Sarai's servant.

4Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to look down on Sarai.

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5Sarai said to Abram, "The wrong done to me is your fault. I put my servant in your arms. Now she knows she is pregnant, and she looks down on me. Let the LORD decide who is right, you or me."

And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

6Abram said to Sarai, "Look, your servant is in your hands. Do to her whatever you want." Then Sarai treated Hagar harshly, and Hagar ran away from her.

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7The angel of the LORD found Hagar in the desert. She was beside a spring of water, the spring by the road that goes to Shur.

And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

NoteAn angel is a messenger who brings God's words to people. A desert is dry, empty land with sand, rocks, and very few people. Shur was near Egypt, so Hagar was walking toward the land she came from.

8He said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

NoteA mistress is the woman a servant works for and obeys.

9The angel of the LORD said to her, "Go back to your mistress. Do as she tells you."

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will give you very many children and their children. There will be too many to count."

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11The angel of the LORD said to her, "Look, you are going to have a baby. You will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, because the LORD has heard how you were hurt.

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

NoteThe name Ishmael means "God hears." His name would remind everyone that God heard Hagar crying.

12He will be a wild man. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him. He will live near all his brothers."

And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

NoteThe old words say he will be like a wild donkey, an animal that runs free in the desert. "His hand against everyone" is a way of saying he will often fight with people.

13Then Hagar gave a name to the LORD who had spoken to her. She said, "You are the God who sees me." She also said, "Have I really seen here the One who sees me?"

And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

NoteLong ago, people gave names that said something true about a person. The name Hagar gave God meant that God had seen her when she was alone.

14That is why the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

NoteA well is a deep hole dug down to water. The name Beer-lahai-roi means "the well of the Living One who sees me." Kadesh and Bered were places out in the dry land.

15Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram. Abram named the son Ishmael.

And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

NoteThe old words say "fourscore and six." A score means twenty, so fourscore and six means eighty-six.

1Abram was ninety-nine years old. The LORD came to Abram and said, "I am God Almighty. Live your whole life in front of me. Do what is right in every way."

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

NoteThe King James says "ninety years old and nine." That means ninety-nine. The word LORD in big letters is God's own special name. "Be thou perfect" does not mean never making a mistake. It means living in a good and honest way.

2"I will make my covenant with you. I will give you very, very many children and grandchildren."

And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

NoteA covenant is a strong promise between two people. It says what each one will do. God's covenant with Abram was a promise God made and kept.

3Abram lay down with his face to the ground. God talked with him and said,

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

NotePeople lay face down on the ground to show great respect. It was their way of saying, "You are much greater than I am."

4"As for me, look: my promise is with you. You will be the father of many nations."

As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

NoteA nation is a very big group of people who share one land. Being "father of many nations" means these groups would come from his family.

5"You will not be called Abram anymore. Your name will be Abraham. I have made you the father of many nations."

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

NoteNames meant something to these people. Abram means "honored father." Abraham sounds like "father of many." The new name matched the new promise.

6"I will give you very many children and grandchildren. Nations will come from you. Kings will come from you too."

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

NoteThe King James says "fruitful." That word is used for trees full of fruit. Here it means having many children and grandchildren.

7"I will keep my promise between me and you, and your family after you, for all time to come. It is a promise that lasts forever. I will be your God and the God of your family after you."

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

NoteThe King James says "thy seed." Seed here does not mean a plant seed. It means a person's children, and their children after them.

8"You live in this land as a stranger. I will give it to you and to your family after you. All the land of Canaan will be theirs forever. I will be their God."

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

NoteCanaan was the land where Abraham was living. He was a visitor there, not an owner. Later his family would live in it for good.

9God also said to Abraham, "So you must keep my promise. You must keep it, and your family after you, for all time to come."

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10"Here is my promise, and you must keep it. It is between me and you and your family after you. Every boy and man among you must be circumcised."

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

NoteTo be circumcised means a small fold of skin is cut from a boy's body. It was a mark on the body. It showed that a family belonged to God.

11"You must cut off the fold of skin on the body. This will be the sign of the promise between me and you."

And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

NoteThe King James word "token" means a sign. A sign is something you can see that reminds you of a promise.

12"Every boy among you must be circumcised when he is eight days old. Do this for all time to come. Do it for boys born in your house. Do it for boys bought with money from a foreigner, who are not your own family."

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

NoteLong ago, rich families had servants who were bought with money. Those servants lived in the house and worked there. They counted as part of the household too.

13"The boy born in your house must be circumcised. The boy bought with your money must be circumcised too. My promise will be marked on your body forever."

He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14"Any male who is not circumcised will be cut off from his people. He has broken my promise."

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Note"Cut off from his people" means he was no longer counted as one of the group. He would not share in the family or the promise.

15God said to Abraham, "About Sarai your wife: do not call her Sarai. Her name will be Sarah."

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

NoteSarai and Sarah are two forms of one name. Both names mean "princess." God gave her a new name, like he did for her husband.

16"I will bless her. I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."

And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17Then Abraham lay down with his face to the ground and laughed. He said inside himself, "Can a man who is a hundred years old have a child? Can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety?"

Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18Abraham said to God, "Oh, let Ishmael live his life in front of you!"

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

NoteIshmael was Abraham's older son. His mother was Hagar, who was Sarah's servant. Abraham loved him and wanted good things for him.

19God said, "Sarah your wife will really have a son. You will name him Isaac. My promise with him will last forever. It will be for his family after him too."

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

NoteThe name Isaac means "he laughs." Abraham had just laughed at the news. The baby's name would always remind the family of that.

20"As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Look, I have blessed him. I will give him many children. His family will grow very, very big. He will be the father of twelve princes, who are rulers of people. I will make him a great nation."

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

NoteThe King James word "beget" means to become the father of someone. A prince here means a leader of a large family group.

21"But I will keep my promise with Isaac. Sarah will have him at this same time next year."

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22God finished talking with him. Then God went up away from Abraham.

And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

NoteThe King James says "he left off talking with him." That just means God stopped talking. The visit was over.

23That very same day Abraham took Ishmael his son. He also took every male born in his house and every male bought with his money. That was every male in Abraham's house. He circumcised them all, just as God had told him.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

NoteThe King James says "the selfsame day." That means that very same day, with no waiting.

24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.

And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.

And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very same day.

In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27All the men of his house were circumcised with him. That was the men born in his house and the men bought with money from a foreigner.

And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.