Hagar and Ishmael
16 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 voice. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her slave-girl Hagar the Egyptian—after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan—and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4 Then he went to Hagar and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, in her eyes her mistress was belittled.
5 So Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong done to me is because of you! I myself placed my slave-girl in your embrace. Now that she saw that she became pregnant, so in her eyes I am belittled. May Adonai judge between you and me!”
6 Abram said to Sarai, “Look! Your slave-girl is in your hand. Do to her what is good in your eyes.”
So Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from her presence. 7 Then the angel of Adonai[a] found her by the spring of water in the wilderness, next to the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave-girl, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The angel of Adonai said, “Return to your mistress and humble yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the angel of Adonai said to her, “I will bountifully multiply your seed, and they will be too many to count.” 11 Then the angel of Adonai said to her,
Behold, you are pregnant
and about to bear a son,
and you shall name him Ishmael—
for Adonai has heard your affliction.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man.
His hand will be against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him,
and away from all his brothers will he dwell.
13 So she called Adonai who was speaking to her, “You are the God who sees me.” For she said, “Would I have gone here indeed looking for Him who looks after me?” 14 That is why the well is named, the Well of the Living One Who Sees Me. (Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.)
15 Then Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.
Footnotes
- Genesis 16:7 Or, Messenger.