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,

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose 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 unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children 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 handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be 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 unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised 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 unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD 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.

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine eyes. And Sarai dealt hardly with 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 the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in 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 handmaid, whence camest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I flee 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 the LORD said unto 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 the LORD said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, 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 the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because the LORD hath heard 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 shall be [as] a wild-ass among men; his hand [shall be] against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence 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 the LORD that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me?

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.

Wherefore the well was called 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 bare Abram a son: and Abram called the name of his son, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16 Abram was 86 when Hagar had Ishmael.

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.