Genesis 16
- 1
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
- 2
So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, please sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him.
- 3
So after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife.
- 4
He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai.
- 5
Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! I gave my servant into your embrace, but when she realized that she was pregnant, she despised me. May the Lord judge between you and me!”
- 6
Abram said to Sarai, “Since your servant is under your authority, do to her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai treated Hagar harshly, so she ran away from Sarai.
- 7
The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring of water in the wilderness—the spring that is along the road to Shur.
- 8
He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai.”
- 9
Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.
- 10
I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the angel of the Lord added, “so that they will be too numerous to count.”
- 11
Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “You are now pregnant and are about to give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your painful groans.
- 12
He will be a wild donkey of a man. He will be hostile to everyone, and everyone will be hostile to him. He will live away from his brothers.”
- 13
So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!”
- 14
That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. (It is located between Kadesh and Bered.)
- 15
So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael.
- 16
(Now Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.)