YASHAR 21 (Jasher 21)

1 And it came to be at that time, at the end of a year and four months of Aḇraham’s dwelling in the land of the Pelishtites in Gerar, that Elohim visited Sarah, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 remembered her, and she conceived and bore a son to Aḇraham.

2 And Aḇraham called the name of the son which was born to him, which Sarah bore to him, Yitsḥaq.

3 And Aḇraham circumcised his son Yitsḥaq at eight days old, as Elohim had commanded Aḇraham to do unto his seed after him. And Aḇraham was one hundred, and Sarah ninety years old, when Yitsḥaq was born to them.

4 And the child grew up and he was weaned, and Aḇraham made a great feast on the day that Yitsḥaq was weaned.

5 And Shĕm and Ĕḇer and all the great people of the land, and Aḇimeleḵ sovereign of the Pelishtites, and his servants, and Piḵol, the commander of his army, came to eat and drink and rejoice at the feast which Aḇraham made on the day of his son Yitsḥaq being weaned.

6 Also Teraḥ, the father of Aḇraham, and Naḥor his brother, came from Ḥaran, they and all belonging to them, for they greatly rejoiced on hearing that a son had been born to Sarah.

7 And they came to Aḇraham, and they ate and drank at the feast which Aḇraham made on the day of Yitsḥaq being weaned.

8 And Teraḥ and Naḥor rejoiced with Aḇraham, and they remained with him many days in the land of the Pelishtites.

9 At that time, Seruḡ son of Re’u died, in the first year of the birth of Yitsḥaq son of Aḇraham.

10 And all the days of Seruḡ were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.

11 And Yishma’ĕl son of Aḇraham was grown up in those days; he was fourteen years old when Sarah bore Yitsḥaq to Aḇraham.

12 And Elohim was with Yishma’ĕl son of Aḇraham, and he grew up, and he learned to use the bow and became an archer.

13 And when Yitsḥaq was five years old he was sitting with Yishma’ĕl at the door of the tent.

14 And Yishma’ĕl came to Yitsḥaq and seated himself opposite to him, and he took the bow and drew it and put the arrow in it, and intended to slay Yitsḥaq.

15 And Sarah saw the act which Yishma’ĕl desired to do to her son Yitsḥaq, and it grieved her exceedingly because of her son, and she sent for Aḇraham, and said to him, “Drive out this female servant and her son, for her son shall not be heir with my son, for so he sought to do to him today.”

16 And Aḇraham listened to the voice of Sarah, and he rose early in the morning, and he took twelve loaves and a bottle of water which he gave to Haḡar, and sent her away with her son. And Haḡar went with her son to the wilderness, and they dwelt in the wilderness of Paran with the inhabitants of the wilderness. And Yishma’ĕl was an archer, and he dwelt in the wilderness a long time.

17 And afterward, he and his mother went to the land of Mitsrayim, and they dwelt there. And Haḡar took a wife for her son from Mitsrayim, and her name was Meriḇah.

18 And the wife of Yishma’ĕl conceived and bore four sons and two daughters, and afterward Yishma’ĕl and his mother and his wife and children went and returned to the wilderness.

19 And they made themselves tents in the wilderness, in which they dwelt, and they continued to travel and then to rest monthly and yearly.

20 And Elohim gave Yishma’ĕl flocks and herds and tents because of Aḇraham his father, and the man increased in cattle.

21 And Yishma’ĕl dwelt in deserts and in tents, travelling and resting for a long time, and he did not see the face of his father.

22 And some time after, Aḇraham said to Sarah his wife, “I will go and see my son Yishma’ĕl, for I have a desire to see him, for I have not seen him for a long time.”

23 And Aḇraham rode on one of his camels to the wilderness to seek his son Yishma’ĕl, for he heard that he was dwelling in a tent in the wilderness with all belonging to him.

24 And Aḇraham went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Yishma’ĕl about noon. And he asked after Yishma’ĕl, and he found the wife of Yishma’ĕl sitting in the tent with her children, and Yishma’ĕl her husband and his mother were not with them.

25 And Aḇraham asked the wife of Yishma’ĕl, saying, “Where has Yishma’ĕl gone?” and she said, “He has gone to the field to hunt.” And Aḇraham was still mounted upon the camel, for he would not get off to the ground as he had sworn to his wife Sarah that he would not get off of the camel.

26 And Aḇraham said to Yishma’ĕl’s wife, “My daughter, give me a little water that I may drink, for I am weary from the journey.”

27 And Yishma’ĕl’s wife answered and said to Aḇraham, “We have neither water nor bread.” And she continued sitting in the tent and did not notice Aḇraham, neither did she ask him who he was.

28 But she was beating her children in the tent, and she was cursing them, and she also cursed her husband Yishma’ĕl and reproached him. And Aḇraham heard the words of Yishma’ĕl’s wife to her children, and he was very wroth and displeased.

29 And Aḇraham called to the woman to come out to him from the tent, and the woman came and stood opposite to Aḇraham, for Aḇraham was still mounted on the camel.

30 And Aḇraham said to Yishma’ĕl’s wife, “When your husband Yishma’ĕl returns home say these words to him:

31 ‘A very old man from the land of the Pelishtites came here to seek you, and thus was his appearance and figure. I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you were not here he spoke to me and said, “When Yishma’ĕl your husband returns tell him thus did the man say, ‘When you come home put away this nail of the tent which you have placed here, and put another nail in its place.’ ” ’ ”

32 And Aḇraham finished his instructions to the woman, and he turned and went off on the camel homeward.

33 And after that, Yishma’ĕl came from the chase, he and his mother, and returned to the tent, and his wife spoke these words to him:

34 “A very old man from the land of the Pelishtites came to seek you, and thus was his appearance and figure. I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you were not at home he said to me, ‘When your husband comes home tell him, “Thus saith the old man, ‘Put away the nail of the tent which you have placed here and place another nail in its place.’ ” ’ ”

35 And Yishma’ĕl heard the words of his wife, and he knew that it was his father, and that his wife did not honour him.

36 And Yishma’ĕl understood his father’s words that he had spoken to his wife, and Yishma’ĕl listened to the voice of his father, and Yishma’ĕl drove out the woman and she went away.

37 And afterward Yishma’ĕl went to the land of Kena’an, and he took another wife and he brought her to his tent to the place where he then dwelt.

38 And at the end of three years Aḇraham said, “I will go again and see Yishma’ĕl my son, for I have not seen him for a long time.”

39 And he rode on his camel and went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Yishma’ĕl about noon.

40 And he asked after Yishma’ĕl, and his wife came out of the tent and she said, “He is not here my master, for he has gone to hunt in the fields, and to feed the camels.” And the woman said to Aḇraham, “Turn in my master into the tent, and eat a piece of bread, for your being must be wearied because of the journey.”

41 And Aḇraham said to her, “I will not stop for I am in haste to continue my journey, but give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” And the woman hastened and ran into the tent and she brought out water and bread to Aḇraham, which she placed before him and she urged him to eat. And he ate and drank and his heart was refreshed and he baraḵ his son Yishma’ĕl.

42 And he finished his meal and he baraḵ 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and he said to Yishma’ĕl’s wife, “When Yishma’ĕl comes home say these words to him:

43 ‘A very old man from the land of the Pelishtites came here and asked after you, and you were not here. And I brought him out bread and water and he ate and drank and his heart was refreshed.

44 ‘And he spoke these words to me: “When Yishma’ĕl your husband comes home, say to him, ‘The nail of the tent which your have is very good, do not put it away from the tent.’ ” ’ ”

45 And Aḇraham finished instructing the woman, and he rode off to his home to the land of the Pelishtites. And when Yishma’ĕl came to his tent, his wife went out to meet him with joy and a cheerful heart.

46 And she said to him, “An old man came here from the land of the Pelishtites and thus was his appearance. And he asked after you and you were not here, so I brought out bread and water, and he ate and drank and his heart was refreshed.

47 “And he spoke these words to me: ‘When Yishma’ĕl your husband comes home say to him, “The nail of the tent which you have is very good, do not put it away from the tent.” ’ ”

48 And Yishma’ĕl knew that it was his father, and that his wife had honoured him, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 baraḵ Yishma’ĕl.