Genesis 16

1 Now Sarai the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,

Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

2 She 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,

So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3 She 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.

So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in to her. But she, perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.

And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

5 And 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.

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6 And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.

“Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.

7 And 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,

Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.

8 He 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.

“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.

9 And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.

So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.”

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

Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 And 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.

The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction.

12 He 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.

He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

13 And 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.

So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!”

14 Therefore she called that well, The well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad.

Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.

And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.

16 Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.