Genesis 16

1 Sarai, Abram's wife, hadn't been able to have any children for him. However, she owned a female Egyptian slave named Hagar,

And Sarai Abram's wife did not bear him [children]. And she had an Egyptian maidservant; and her name was Hagar.

2 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.

And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3 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.

And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar, the Egyptian, her maidservant, at the end of ten years that Abram had dwelt in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram, as his wife.

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

And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lightly esteemed in her eyes.

5 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!”

And Sarai said to Abram, My wrong be on thee! I have given my maidservant into thy bosom; and now she sees that she has conceived, I am lightly esteemed in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and thee!

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

And Abram said to Sarai, Behold, thy maidservant is in thy hand: do to her what is good in thine eyes. And Sarai oppressed her; and she fled from her face.

7 The angel of the Lord met Hagar at a spring in the desert—the spring on the road to Shur.

And the Angel of Jehovah found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.

8 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.

And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maidservant, whence comest thou? and whither art thou going? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.

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

And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

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

And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 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.

And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath hearkened to thy affliction.

12 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.”

And he will be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell before the face of all his brethren.

13 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.”

And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, Thou art the God who reveals himself, for she said, Also here have I seen after he has revealed himself.

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

Therefore the well was named Beer-lahai-roi: behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

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

And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was 86 when Hagar had Ishmael.

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