Genesis 16

The Birth of Ishmael

1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. 4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6But Abram said to Sarai, “Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her.

7The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.” 9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her.” 10The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will so greatly multiply your offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude.” 11And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Now you have conceived and shall bear a son;

you shall call him Ishmael,#16.11 That is God hears

for the Lord has given heed to your affliction.

12He shall be a wild ass of a man,

with his hand against everyone,

and everyone's hand against him;

and he shall live at odds with all his kin.”

13So she named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are El-roi”;#16.13 Perhaps God of seeing or God who sees for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?”#16.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain 14Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;#16.14 That is the Well of the Living One who sees me it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him#16.16 Heb Abram Ishmael.

Learn More About New Revised Standard Version

Genesis 16

Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael

1Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, 2and Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine.”#16.2 Sleep…mine: It was the custom for a wife who could not have children to let her husband sleep with one of her slave women. The children of the slave would belong to the wife. Abram agreed, 3and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. 4Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai.

5Then Sarai said to Abram, “It's all your fault!#16.5 It's…fault: Or “I hope you'll be punished for what you did to me!” I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the LORD for this.”

6Abram said, “All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her.” But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

7Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the LORD came to her 8and asked, “Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

She answered, “I'm running away from Sarai, my owner.”

9The angel said, “Go back to Sarai and be her slave. 10-11I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael,#16.10,11 Ishmael: In Hebrew “Ishmael” sounds like “God hears”. because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. 12But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him.”

13Hagar thought, “Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?”#16.13 Have…it: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. So from then on she called him, “The God who Sees Me”.#16.13 The God who Sees Me: Or “The God I have Seen”. 14That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, “The Well of the Living One who Sees Me”.#16.14 The Well…Me: Or “Beer-Lahai-Roi” (see 25.11).

15-16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.#Ga 4.22.

Learn More About Contemporary English Version (Anglicised) 2012