< Genesis 16 >

1 And Sara the wife of Abram bore him no children; and she had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Agar.
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had given him no children; and she had a servant, a woman of Egypt whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may get children for myself through her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sara.
And Sarai said to Abram, See, the Lord has not let me have children; go in to my servant, for I may get a family through her. And Abram did as Sarai said.
3 So Sara the wife of Abram having taken Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Chanaan, gave her to Abram her husband as a wife to him.
So after Abram had been living for ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, and gave her to Abram for his wife.
4 And he went in to Agar, and she conceived, and saw that she was with child, and her mistress was dishonoured before her.
And he went in to Hagar and she became with child, and when she saw that she was with child, she no longer had any respect for her master's wife.
5 And Sara said to Abram, I am injured by you; I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when I saw that she was with child, I was dishonoured before her. The Lord judge between me and you.
And Sarai said to Abram, May my wrong be on you: I gave you my servant for your wife and when she saw that she was with child, she no longer had any respect for me: may the Lord be judge between you and me.
6 And Abram said to Sara, Behold your handmaid is in your hands, use her as it may seem good to you. And Sara afflicted her, and she fled from her face.
And Abram said, The woman is in your power; do with her whatever seems good to you. And Sarai was cruel to her, so that she went running away from her.
7 And an angel of the Lord found her by the fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Sur.
And an angel of the Lord came to her by a fountain of water in the waste land, by the fountain on the way to Shur.
8 And the angel of the Lord said to her, Agar, Sara's maid, whence come you, and wither go you? and she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sara.
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from and where are you going? And she said, I am running away from Sarai, my master's wife.
9 And the angel of the Lord said to her, Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.
And the angel said to her, Go back, and put yourself under her authority.
10 And the angel of the Lord said to her, I will surely multiply your seed, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.
And the angel of the Lord said, Your seed will be greatly increased so that it may not be numbered.
11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, Behold you are with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ismael, for the Lord has listened to your humiliation.
And the angel of the Lord said, See, you are with child and will give birth to a son, to whom you will give the name Ishmael, because the ears of the Lord were open to your sorrow.
12 He shall be a wild man, his hands against all, and the hands of all against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And he will be like a mountain ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him, and he will keep his place against all his brothers.
13 And she called the name of the Lord God who spoke to her, You are God who see me; for she said, For I have openly seen him that appeared to me.
And to the Lord who was talking with her she gave this name, You are a God who is seen; for she said, Have I not even here in the waste land had a vision of God and am still living?
14 Therefore she called the well, The well of him whom I have openly seen; behold it is between Cades and Barad.
So that fountain was named, Fountain of Life and Vision: it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Agar bore a son to Abram; and Abram called the name of his son which Agar bore to him, Ismael.
And Hagar gave birth to a child, the son of Abram, to whom Abram gave the name of Ishmael.
16 And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Agar bore Ismael to Abram.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

< Genesis 16 >