Abraham bowed down with his face touching the ground,

but he began to laugh when he thought,

"Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old?

Can Sarah have a child at ninety?"

He asked God, "Why not let Ishmael by my heir?"

But God said, "No.

Your wife Sarah will bear you a son and you will name him Isaac.

I will keep my covenant with him and with his descendants forever.

It is an everlasting covenant. I have heard your request about Ishmael,

so I will bless him and give him many children

and many descendants.

He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation

of his descendants.

But I will keep my covenant with your son Isaac,

who will be born to Sarah about this time next year."

When God finished speaking to Abraham,

he left him.