Genesis 16 - Modern English Version (MEV)

The Birth of Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Please go in to my maid; it may be that I will obtain children through her.”

Abram listened to Sarai. 3 So after Abram had been living for ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, his wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived.

When she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid into your arms; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence.

7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. It was the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?”

And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly so that they will be too many to count.”

11 Then the angel of the Lord said to her,

“You are pregnant
and will bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12 He will be a wild man;
his hand will be against every man,
and every man’s hand will be against him.
And he will dwell
in the presence of all his brothers.”

13 Then she called the name of the Lord that spoke to her, “You are the God who sees,” for she said, “Have I now looked on Him who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the son she bore Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

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Genesis 16 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

16 And Sarai, Abram's wife, hath not borne to him, and she hath an handmaid, an Egyptian, and her name [is] Hagar; 2 and Sarai saith unto Abram, `Lo, I pray thee, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing, go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; perhaps I am built up from her;' and Abram hearkeneth to t...
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Genesis 16 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

16 Therefore Sarai, the wife of Abram, had not engendered [to him] free children; but she had a servantess of Egypt, Hagar by name, (And so Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne him any children; but she had an Egyptian slave-girl, named Hagar,) 2 and Sarai said to her husband, Lo! the Lord hath closed...
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Genesis 16 - World English Bible (WEB)

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 Sarai, ...
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Genesis 16 - The Voice (VOICE)

16 Despite God’s promise, years went by. Still Abram’s wife Sarai remained childless. But she did have an Egyptian servant girl whose name was Hagar. Sarai had an idea so she approached her husband. Sarai (to Abram): 2 You can see that the Eternal One has still not allowed me to have any children. W...
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Genesis 16 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne him children. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl—her name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, Adonai has prevented me from having children. Go, please, to my slave-girl. Perhaps I’ll get a son by her.”Abram listened to Sarai’s v...
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Genesis 16 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sar′ai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; 2 and Sar′ai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to th...
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Genesis 16 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sar′ai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; 2 and Sar′ai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram hearkened to th...
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Genesis 16 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2 and Sarai said to Abram, ‘You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram list...
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Genesis 16 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave whose name was Hagar,(A)2 and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to t...
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Genesis 16 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed...
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Genesis 16 - New Life Version (NLV)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Now Abram’s wife Sarai had not given birth to any children. She had a woman servant from Egypt whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her.” ...
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Genesis 16 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, (A)had borne him no children. And she had (B)an Egyptian maidservant whose name was (C)Hagar. 2 (D)So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord (E)has restrained me from bearing children. Please, (F)go in to my maid; perhaps I shall [a]obtain children by h...
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Genesis 16 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abra...
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Genesis 16 - New International Version (NIV)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Now Sarai,(A) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.(B) But she had an Egyptian slave(C) named Hagar;(D) 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.(E) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”(F)Abram agreed to what Sarai said....
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Genesis 16 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Hagar and Ishmael16 Abram’s wife Sarai had never had any children by him. But she had a female slave from Egypt named Hagar. 2 So she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go and sleep with my slave. Maybe I can have a family through her.”Abram agreed to what Sarai had said. 3...
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Genesis 16 - New English Translation (NET)

The Birth of Ishmael16 Now Sarai,[a] Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children,[b] but she had an Egyptian servant[c] named Hagar.[d] 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since[e] the Lord has prevented me from having children, please sleep with[f] my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.”[g] ...
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