The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 9

15:21. And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.

Genesis Chapter 16

Abram marrieth Agar, who bringeth forth Ismael.

16:1. Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,

16:2. She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,

16:3. She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.

To wife... Plurality of wives, though contrary to the primitive inst.i.tution of marriage, Gen. 2.24, was by divine dispensation allowed to the patriarchs: which allowance seems to have continued during the time of the law of Moses. But Christ our Lord reduced marriage to its primitive inst.i.tution. Matt. 19.

16:4. And he went in to her. But she perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.

16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee.

16:6. And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.

16:7. And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,

16:8. He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress.

16:9. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.

16:10. And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for mult.i.tude.

16:11. And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

16:12. He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren.

16:13. And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the G.o.d who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.

16:14. Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad.

16:15. And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.

16:16. Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.

Genesis Chapter 17

The Covenant of circ.u.mcision.

17:1. And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty G.o.d: walk before me, and be perfect.

17:2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly.

17:3. Abram fell flat on his face.

17:4. And G.o.d said to him: I am, and my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

17:5. Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram: but thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

Abram... in the Hebrew, signifies a high father: but Abraham, the father of the mult.i.tude; Sarai signifies my Lady, but Sara absolutely Lady.

17:6. And I will make thee increase exceedingly, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

17:7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be a G.o.d to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

17:8. And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy sojournment, all the land of Chanaan, for a perpetual possession, and I will be their G.o.d.

17:9. Again G.o.d said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

17:10. This is my covenant which you shall observe between me and you, and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circ.u.mcised.

17:11. And you shall circ.u.mcise the flesh of your foreskin, that it may be for a sign of the covenant between me and you.

17:12. An infant of eight days old shall be circ.u.mcised among you, every manchild in your generations: he that is born in the house, as well as the bought servant, shall be circ.u.mcised, and whosoever is not of your stock:

17:13. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant.

17:14. The male whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circ.u.mcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant.

17:15. G.o.d said also to Abraham: Sarai thy wife thou shalt not call Sarai, but Sara.

17:16. And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless, and he shall become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him.

17:17. Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart: Shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old?

and shall Sara that is ninety years old bring forth?

17:18. And he said to G.o.d: O that Ismael may live before thee.

17:19. And G.o.d said to Abraham: Sara thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him for a perpetual covenant, and with his seed after him.

17:20. And as for Ismael I have also heard thee. Behold, I will bless him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation.

17:21. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sara shall bring forth to thee at this time in the next year.

17:22. And when he had left off speaking with him, G.o.d went up from Abraham.

17:23. And Abraham took Ismael his son, and all that were born in his house: and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his house: and he circ.u.mcised the flesh of their foreskin forthwith the very same day, as G.o.d had commanded him.

17:24. Abraham was ninety and nine years old, when he circ.u.mcised the flesh of his foreskin.

17:25. And Ismael his son was full thirteen years old at the time of his circ.u.mcision.

17:26. The selfsame day was Abraham circ.u.mcised and Ismael his son.

17:27. And all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his house, as the bought servants and strangers, were circ.u.mcised with him.