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
Hagar and Ishmael
1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
7The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
11The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,#16:11 Ishmael means God hears.
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward#16:12 Or live to the east / of all his brothers.”
13She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen#16:13 Or seen the back of the One who sees me.” 14That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi#16:14 Beer Lahai Roi means well of the Living One who sees me.; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
15So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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