Genesis 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.

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Genesis 16

CHAPTER 16

1Therefore Sarai, the wife of Abram, had not engendered [to him] free children; but she had a servantess of Egypt, Hagar by name,

2and Sarai said to her husband, Lo! the Lord hath closed me, that I should not bear child; enter thou [in] to my servantess, if in hap I shall take children, namely of her. And when he assented to her praying,

3she took Hagar the Egyptian, her servantess, after ten years after that they began to inhabit the land of Canaan, and she gave Hagar as [a] wife to her husband.

4And Abram entered [in] to Hagar; and Hagar saw that she had conceived, and she despised her lady.

5And Sarai said to Abram, Thou doest wickedly against me; I gave my servantess into thy bosom, which seeth that she [hath] conceived, and despiseth me; the Lord deem betwixt me and thee.

6And Abram answered and said to her, Lo! thy servantess is in thine hand; use thou her as thee liketh. Therefore for Sarai tormented her, she fled away.

7And when the angel of the Lord had found her beside a well of water in wilderness, which well is in the way of Shur in desert,

8he said to her, From whence comest thou Hagar, the servantess of Sarai, and whither goest thou? Which answered, I flee from the face of Sarai, my lady.

9And the angel of the Lord said to her, Turn thou again to thy lady, and be thou meeked under her hands.

10And again he said, I multiplying shall multiply thy seed, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11And afterward he said, Lo! thou hast conceived, and thou shalt bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, for the Lord hath heard thy torment;

12this shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against all men, and the hands of all men shall be against him; and he shall set his tabernacles even against all his brethren.

13Forsooth Hagar called the name of the Lord that spake to her, Thou God that sawest me; for she said, Forsooth here I saw the hinder things of him that saw me.

14Therefore she called that well, The well of him that liveth and seeth me; that well is betwixt Kadesh and Bered.

15And Hagar childed a son to Abram, which called his name Ishmael.

16Abram was eighty years and six, when Hagar childed Ishmael to him.

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