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
The Birth of Ishmael
1#Gal 4:24; Ge 12:16Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Please go in to my maid; it may be that I will obtain children through her.”
Abram listened to Sarai. 3#Ge 12:4–5So after Abram had been living for ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, his wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived.
When she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise her mistress. 5#Ge 31:53; Ex 5:21Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid into your arms; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6But Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence.
7#Ge 25:18; Ex 15:22The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. It was the spring on the way to Shur. 8#Ge 3:9And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?”
And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10#Ge 17:20; 21:13; 22:15–18The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly so that they will be too many to count.”
11#Ex 3:7; 2:23–24Then the angel of the Lord said to her,
“You are pregnant
and will bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12#Ge 25:18; Job 39:5–8; Ge 21:20 He will be a wild man;
his hand will be against every man,
and every man’s hand will be against him.
And he will dwell
in the presence of all his brothers.”
13#Ge 32:30; Ps 139:1–12Then she called the name of the Lord that spoke to her, “You are the God who sees,” for she said, “Have I now looked on Him who sees me?” 14#Ge 24:62; 25:11Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.
15#Ge 25:12So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the son she bore Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Military Bible Association