Genesis 16; Genesis 17; Matthew 5:27-48

1 Abram's wife Sarai had never had any children by him. But she had a female servant from Egypt named Hagar.

2 So she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go and make love to my servant. Maybe I can have a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai had said.

3 After he had been living in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai gave him her servant Hagar to be his wife.

4 He made love to Hagar. And she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to look down on the woman who owned her.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's your fault that I'm suffering like this. I put my servant in your arms. Now that she knows she's pregnant, she looks down on me. May the LORD judge between you and me. May he decide which of us is right."

6 "Your servant belongs to you," Abram said. "Do with her what you think is best." Then Sarai treated Hagar badly. So Hagar ran away from her.

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert. The spring was beside the road to Shur.

8 He said, "Hagar, you are the servant of Sarai. Where have you come from? Where are you going?" "I'm running away from my owner Sarai," she answered.

9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to the woman who owns you. Obey her."

10 The angel continued, "I will greatly increase the number of your children after you. You will have more of them than anyone can count."

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her, "You are now pregnant. You will have a son. You will name him Ishmael. That is because the LORD has heard about your suffering.

12 He will be like a wild donkey. He will use his power against everyone. And everyone will be against him. He will not be friendly toward any of his relatives."

13 She gave a name to the LORD who spoke to her. She called him "You are the God who sees me." That's because she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

14 That's why the well was named Beer Lahai Roi. It's still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar had a son by Abram. And Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had by him.

16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar had Ishmael by him.

1 When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him. He said, "I am the Mighty God. Walk with me and live without any blame.

2 I will now put into practice my covenant between me and you. I will greatly increase your numbers."

3 Abram fell with his face to the ground. God said to him,

4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations.

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

6 I will give you many children. Nations will come from you. And kings will come from you.

7 "I will make my covenant with you. It will last forever. It will be between me and you and your children after you for all time to come. I will be your God. And I will be the God of all of your family after you.

8 "You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever. So will your children after you. And I will be their God."

9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant. You and your children after you for all time to come must keep it.

10 "Here is my covenant that you and your children after you must keep. Every male among you must be circumcised.

11 You must be circumcised. That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

12 It must be done for all time to come. "Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. That includes those who are born in your house. It also includes those who are bought with money from a stranger. Even those who are not your own children must be included.

13 Any male who is born in your house or bought with your money must be circumcised. "My covenant will last forever. Your body will have the mark of my covenant on it.

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

15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai anymore. Her name will be Sarah.

16 I will give her my blessing. You can be sure that I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of nations will come from her."

17 Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man who is 100 years old? Will Sarah have a child at the age of 90?"

18 Abraham said to God, "I wish Ishmael could receive your blessing!"

19 Then God said, "I will bless Ishmael. But your wife Sarah will have a son by you. And you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. It will be a covenant that lasts forever. It will be for Isaac and for his family after him.

20 "As for Ishmael, I have heard you. You can be sure that I will bless him. I will give him children. I will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation.

21 "But I will establish my covenant with Isaac. By this time next year, Sarah will have a son by you."

22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God left him.

23 On that very day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male who was born in his house or bought with his money. He did exactly as God had told him.

24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised.

25 His son Ishmael was 13.

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

27 And every male in Abraham's house was circumcised along with him. That included those who were born in his house or bought from a stranger.

27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'(Exodus 20:14)

28 But here is what I tell you. Do not even look at a woman in the wrong way. Anyone who does has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. Your eye is only one part of your body. It is better to lose it than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Your hand is only one part of your body. It is better to lose it than for your whole body to go into hell.

31 "It has been said, 'Suppose a man divorces his wife. If he does, he must give her a letter of divorce.'(Deuteronomy 24:1)

32 But here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who gets married to the divorced woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him.

33 "Again, you have heard what was said to your people long ago. They were told, 'Do not break the promises you make to the Lord. Keep the oaths you have made to him.'

34 But here is what I tell you. Do not make any promises like that at all. Do not make them in the name of heaven. That is God's throne.

35 Do not make them in the name of the earth. That is the stool for God's feet. Do not make them in the name of Jerusalem. That is the city of the Great King.

36 And do not take an oath in the name of your head. You can't make even one hair white or black.

37 "Just let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes.' Let your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth.'(Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21)

39 But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person. "Suppose someone hits you on your right cheek. Turn your other cheek to him also.

40 Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let him have your coat also.

41 Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with him.

42 "Give to the one who asks you for something. Don't turn away from the one who wants to borrow something from you.

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor.(Leviticus 19:18) Hate your enemy.'

44 But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.

45 Then you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven. "He causes his sun to shine on evil people and good people. He sends rain on those who do right and those who don't.

46 "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that.

47 If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that.

48 So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.