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
Ishmael Is Born
1Sarai, Abram’s wife, had no children, but she had a slave girl from Egypt named Hagar. 2Sarai said to Abram, “Look, the Lord has not allowed me to have children, so have sexual relations with my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her.”
Abram did what Sarai said. 3It was after he had lived ten years in Canaan that Sarai gave Hagar to her husband Abram. (Hagar was her slave girl from Egypt.)
4Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress Sarai badly. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is your fault. I gave my slave girl to you, and when she became pregnant, she began to treat me badly. Let the Lord decide who is right—you or me.”
6But Abram said to Sarai, “You are Hagar’s mistress. Do anything you want to her.” Then Sarai was hard on Hagar, and Hagar ran away.
7The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the desert, by the road to Shur. 8The angel said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you come from? Where are you going?”
Hagar answered, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.”
9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go home to your mistress and obey her.” 10The angel also said, “I will give you so many descendants they cannot be counted.”
11The angel added,
“You are now pregnant,
and you will have a son.
You will name him Ishmael,
because the Lord has heard your cries.
12Ishmael will be like a wild donkey.
He will be against everyone,
and everyone will be against him.
He will attack all his brothers.”
13The slave girl gave a name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are ‘God who sees me,’ ” because she said to herself, “Have I really seen God who sees me?” 14So the well there, between Kadesh and Bered, was called Beer Lahai Roi.
15Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.