Genesis 16
16
1Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,
2She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. Go in unto my handmaid; it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,
3She took Agar the Egyptian, her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and gave her to her husband to wife.
4And he went in to her. But she, perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.
5And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me; I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she, perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee.
6And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold, thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her its it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.
7And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,
8He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? And whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress.
9And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.
10And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Ismael: because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.
12He shall be a wild man. His hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren.
13And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou, the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.
14Therefore she called that well: The well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Bared.
15And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.
16Abram was fourscore and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Genesis 16
16
Abram and Hagar
1Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don’t you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed with Sarai.
3After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner.
5So Sarai complained to Abram, “I’m being treated unfairly! And it’s your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s being disrespectful to me. May the Lord decide who is right—you or me.”
6Abram answered Sarai, “Here, she’s your slave. Do what you like with her.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.
7The Messenger of the Lord found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the way to Shur. 8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She answered, “I’m running away from my owner Sarai.” 9The Messenger of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your owner, and place yourself under her authority.” 10The Messenger of the Lord also said to her, “I will give you many descendants. No one will be able to count them because there will be so many.” 11Then the Messenger of the Lord said to her,
“You are pregnant,
and you will give birth to a son.
You will name him Ishmael [God Hears],
because the Lord has heard your cry of distress.
12He will be as free and wild as an untamed donkey.
He will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him.
He will have conflicts with all his relatives.”
13Hagar named the Lord, who had been speaking to her, “You Are the God Who Watches Over Me.” She said, “This is the place where I watched ⌞the one⌟ who watches over me.” 14This is why the well is named Beer Lahai Roi [Well of the Living One Who Watches Over Me]. It is still there between Kadesh and Bered.
15Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. Abram named him Ishmael. 16Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
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