Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
returns home, say these words to him: A very old man from the land of
the Philistines came hither to seek thee, and his appearance was thus
and so, and thus was his figure. I did not ask him who he was, and
seeing thou wast not here, he spoke unto me, and said, When Ishmael thy
husband returns, tell him, Thus did the man say, When thou comest home,
put away this tent-pin which thou hast placed here, and place another
tent-pin in its stead." And Abraham finished his instructions to the
woman, and he turned and went off on the camel homeward. And when
Ishmael returned to the tent, he heard the words of his wife, and he
knew that it was his father, and that his wife had not honored him. And
Ishmael understood his father's words that he had spoken to his wife,
and he hearkened to the voice of his father, and he divorced his wife,
and she went away. And Ishmael afterward went to the land of Canaan,
and he took another wife, and he brought her to his tent, to the place
where he dwelt.
And at the end of three years, Abraham said, "I will go again and see
Ishmael my son, for I have not seen him for a long time." And he rode
upon his camel, and went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of
Ishmael about noon. And he asked after Ishmael, and his wife came out
of the tent, and she said, "He is not here, my lord, for he has gone to
hunt in the fields and feed the camels," and the woman said to Abraham,
"Turn in, my lord, into the tent, and eat a morsel of bread, for thy
soul must be wearied on account of the journey." And Abraham 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
Abraham, which she placed before him, urging him to eat and drink, and
he ate and drank, and his heart was merry, and he blessed his son
Ishmael. And he finished his meal, and he blessed the Lord, and he said
to Ishmael's wife: "When Ishmael comes home, say these words to him: A
very old man from the land of the Philistines came hither, and asked
after thee, and thou wast not here, and I brought him out bread and
water, and he ate and drank, and his heart was merry. And he spoke
these words to me, When Ishmael thy husband comes home, say unto him,
The tent-pin which thou hast is very good, do not put it away from the
tent." And Abraham finished commanding the woman, and he rode off to
his home, to the land of the Philistines, and when Ishmael came to his
tent, his wife went forth to meet him with joy and a cheerful heart,
and she told him the words of the old man. Ishmael knew that it was his
father, and that his wife had honored him, and he praised the Lord. And
Ishmael then took his wife and his children and his cattle and all
belonging to him, and he journeyed from there, and he went to his
father in the land of the Philistines. And Abraham related to Ishmael
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