Genesis 16

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

Sarai, Abram's wife, hadn't been able to have any children for him. However, she owned a female Egyptian slave 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, “Please listen to me. The Lord hasn't let me have any children. So please go and sleep with my slave. Maybe I can have a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai had suggested.

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 Sarai, Abram's wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband as his wife. Abram had been living in the land of Canaan for ten years when this happened.

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

Abram slept with Hagar and she became pregnant. When she realized she was pregnant, she treated her mistress with contempt.

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 complained to Abram, “What I'm suffering is all your doing! I gave you my servant to sleep with, and now that she knows she's pregnant, she treats me with contempt. May the Lord decide who's at fault—you or 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.

“Listen, she's your slave!” Abram replied. “You can do whatever you want to her.” Sarai treated Hagar so badly that she ran away.

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,

The angel of the Lord met Hagar at a spring in the desert—the spring on 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.

He asked her, “Hagar, Sarai's slave—where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I'm 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.

“Go back to your mistress and do what she tells you,” the angel of the Lord told her.

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

Then he continued, “I will give you many, many descendants—in fact they'll be so many they can't be counted.”

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 went on to tell her: “Listen! You're pregnant, and you will have a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard how you've suffered.

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'll be a wild donkey kind of man—he will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him. He will forever be fighting with his relatives.”

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.

From then on Hagar called the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” because she said, “Here I saw 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.

That's why the well is called “the Well of the Living One who Sees Me.” It's still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

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

Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram. Abram named his son Ishmael.

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

Abram was 86 when Hagar had Ishmael.