Genesis 16-18; Psalms 5 - Prayer Tents

Genesis 16

The Birth of Ishmael

16Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.H8297H87H802H3205H3808H3205H8198H4713H8034H19042So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal.H8297H559H87H3068H6113H3205H935H8198H194H1129H87H8085H6963H82973So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)H8297H87H802H3947H1904H8198H4713H7093H87H3427H6235H8141H776H3667H5414H376H87H8024So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.H935H1904H2029H7200H2029H1404H7043H58695Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she's pregnant she treats me with contempt. The LORD will show who's wrong—you or me!"H8297H559H87H2555H5414H8198H2436H7200H2029H7043H5869H3068H81996Abram replied, "Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit." Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.H87H559H8297H8198H3027H6213H2896H5869H8297H6031H1272H64407The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur.H4397H3068H4672H5869H4325H4057H5869H1870H77938The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai," she replied.H559H1904H8297H8198H335H935H3212H559H1272H6440H1404H82979The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."H4397H3068H559H7725H1404H6031H302710Then he added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count."H4397H3068H559H7235H2233H7235H5608H723011And the angel also said, "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means 'God hears'), for the LORD has heard your cry of distress.H4397H3068H559H2009H2030H3205H1121H7121H8034H3458H3068H8085H604012This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives."H6501H120H3027H3027H7931H6440H25113Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, "You are the God who sees me." She also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?"H7121H8034H3068H1696H410H7210H559H1988H7200H310H721014So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means "well of the Living One who sees me"). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.H875H7121H883H2416H6946H126015So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.H1904H3205H87H1121H87H7121H1121H8034H1904H3205H345816Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.H87H8084H8141H8337H8141H1121H1904H3205H3458H87

Genesis 17

Abram Is Named Abraham

17When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai—'God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.H87H8673H8141H8141H1121H8672H3068H7200H87H559H7706H410H1980H6440H8549 2I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants."H5414H1285H7235H3966H3966 3At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,H87H5307H6440H430H1696H559 4"This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!H589H1285H1H1995H1471 5What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.H8034H7121H87H8034H85H1H1995H1471H5414 6I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!H6509H3966H3966H6509H5414H1471H4428H3318 7"I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.H6965H1285H2233H310H1755H5769H1285H430H2233H310 8And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God."H5414H2233H310H776H4033H776H3667H5769H272H430

The Mark of the Covenant

9Then God said to Abraham, "Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.H430H559H85H8104H1285H2233H310H1755 10This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.H1285H8104H2233H310H2145H4135 11You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.H5243H1320H6190H226H1285 12From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.H8083H3117H1121H4135H2145H1755H3211H1004H4736H3701H1121H5236H2233 13All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.H3211H1004H4736H3701H4135H4135H1285H1320H5769H1285 14Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant."H6189H2145H834H1320H6190H4135H5315H3772H5971H6565H1285

Sarai Is Named Sarah

15Then God said to Abraham, "Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.H430H559H85H8297H802H7121H8034H8297H3588H8283H8034 16And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants."H1288H5414H1121H1288H1471H4428H5971 17Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of 100?" he thought. "And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?"H85H5307H6440H6711H559H3820H3205H3967H8141H1121H8283H8673H8141H1323H3205 18So Abraham said to God, "May Ishmael live under your special blessing!"H85H559H430H3863H3458H2421H6440 19But God replied, "No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.H430H559H8283H802H3205H1121H61H7121H8034H3327H6965H1285H5769H1285H2233H310 20As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.H3458H8085H1288H6509H7235H3966H3966H6240H8147H5387H3205H5414H1419H1471 21But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year."H1285H6965H3327H8283H3205H4150H312H8141 22When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.H3615H1696H430H5927H85 23On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him.H85H3947H3458H1121H3211H1004H4736H3701H2145H582H85H1004H4135H1320H6190H6106H3117H430H1696 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,H85H8673H8141H1121H8672H4135H1320H6190 25and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen.H3458H1121H6240H7969H8141H1121H4135H1320H6190 26Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day,H6106H3117H85H4135H3458H1121 27along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.H582H1004H3211H1004H4736H3701H1121H5236H4135

Genesis 18

A Son Is Promised to Sarah

18The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.H3068H7200H436H4471H3427H168H6607H2527H31172He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.H5375H5869H7200H7969H582H5324H7200H7323H7125H168H6607H7812H7763"My lord," he said, "if it pleases you, stop here for a while.H559H136H4672H2580H5869H5674H56504Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.H4592H4325H4994H3947H7364H7272H8172H60865And since you've honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey." "All right," they said. "Do as you have said."H3947H6595H3899H5582H3820H310H5674H5674H5921H5650H1696H6213H5596So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread."H85H4116H168H8283H559H4116H7969H5429H5560H7058H3888H6213H5692H62137Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.H85H7323H1241H3947H1121H1241H7390H2896H5414H5288H4116H62138When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.H3947H2529H2461H1121H1241H6213H5414H6440H5975H6086H3989"Where is Sarah, your wife?" the visitors asked. "She's inside the tent," Abraham replied.H559H346H8283H802H559H16810Then one of them said, "I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!" Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.H559H7725H7725H6256H2416H8283H802H1121H8283H8085H168H6607H31011Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children.H85H8283H2205H935H3117H2308H8283H734H80212So she laughed silently to herself and said, "How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?"H8283H6711H7130H559H310H1086H5730H113H220413Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?'H3068H559H85H4100H8283H6711H559H552H3205H589H220414Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."H6381H1697H6381H3068H4150H7725H6256H2416H8283H112115Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, "I didn't laugh." But the LORD said, "No, you did laugh."H8283H3584H559H6711H3372H559H3808H6711

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.H582H6965H8259H6440H5467H85H1980H797117"Should I hide my plan from Abraham?" the LORD asked.H3068H559H3680H85H834H621318"For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.H85H1419H6099H1471H1471H776H128819I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised."H3045H834H6680H1121H1004H310H8104H1870H3068H6213H6666H4941H3068H935H85H169620So the LORD told Abraham, "I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.H3068H559H2201H5467H6017H7227H2403H3966H351321I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know."H3381H7200H6213H3617H6818H935H304522The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham.H582H6437H3212H5467H85H5975H5750H6440H306823Abraham approached him and said, "Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?H85H5066H559H5595H6662H5973H756324Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes?H3426H2572H6662H8432H5892H5595H5375H4725H4616H2572H6662H713025Surely you wouldn't do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn't do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?"H2486H6213H1697H4191H6662H7563H6662H7563H2486H8199H776H6213H494126And the LORD replied, "If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake."H3068H559H4672H5467H2572H6662H8432H5892H5375H472527Then Abraham spoke again. "Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.H85H6030H559H2974H1696H136H595H6083H66528Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there."H2637H2568H2572H6662H7843H5892H2568H559H4672H705H2568H784329Then Abraham pressed his request further. "Suppose there are only forty?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty."H1696H3254H559H705H4672H559H6213H70530"Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?" And the LORD replied, "I will not destroy it if I find thirty."H559H4994H136H2734H1696H7970H4672H559H6213H4672H797031Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?" And the LORD replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."H559H2974H1696H136H6242H4672H559H7843H624232Finally, Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?" And the LORD replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten."H559H136H2734H1696H389H6471H6235H4672H559H7843H623533When the LORD had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.H3068H3212H834H3615H1696H85H85H7725H4725

Psalms 5

5[For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute.] O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.H5329H5155H4210H1732H238H561H3068H995H19012Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.H7181H6963H7773H4428H430H64193Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.H6963H8085H1242H3068H1242H6186H68224O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.H410H2655H7562H7451H14815Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil.H1984H3320H5869H8130H6466H2056You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers.H6H1696H3577H3068H8581H1818H4820H3767Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.H935H1004H7230H2617H3374H7812H6944H19648Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.H5148H3068H6666H8324H1870H3474H64409My enemies cannot speak a truthful word. Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with flattery.H3559H6310H7130H1942H1627H6605H6913H2505H395610O God, declare them guilty. Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.H816H430H5307H4156H5080H7230H6588H478411But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.H2620H8055H5769H7442H5526H157H8034H597012For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love.H3068H1288H6662H7522H5849H6793