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The Story of Hagar in the Wilderness.

(From the 21st Chapter of GENESIS.)

ABRAHAM had two sons, Ishmael the son of Hagar, and Isaac the son of Sarah. Now Hagar was a bond-woman, and Sarah said unto Abraham, "Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."

And the thing was grievous unto Abraham; and God said unto Abraham, "Let it not be grievous unto thee, but do as Sarah hath said unto thee."

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away.

And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, "Let me not see the death of the child." And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out

HAGAR IN THE WILDERNESS.

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and said unto her, "What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness.

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The Story of the Offering up of Isaac.

(From the 22d Chapter of GENESIS.)

AND it came to pass that God did try Abraham, and said unto him, "Abraham."

And he said, "Behold, here am I.”

And he said, "Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains that I will tell thee of."

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. And on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

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And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, “My father."

And he said, " Here am I, my son."

And Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?"

And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering; " so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham ;" and he said, "Here am I." And he said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son.

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore;

and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba, where Abraham dwelt.

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