1Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. 6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, #Gen. 11:30; 15:2, 3had borne him no children. And she had #Gen. 12:16; 21:9an Egyptian maidservant whose name was #Gal. 4:24Hagar. 2#Gen. 30:3So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord #Gen. 20:18has restrained me from bearing children. Please, #Gen. 30:3, 9go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram #Gen. 3:17heeded the voice of Sarai. 3Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram #Gen. 12:4, 5had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became #1 Sam. 1:6, 7; (Prov. 30:21, 23)despised in her eyes.

5Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. #Gen. 31:53; Ex. 5:21The Lord judge between you and me.”

6#1 Pet. 3:7So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, #Gen. 16:9; Ex. 2:15she fled from her presence.

7Now the #Gen. 21:17, 18; 22:11, 15; 31:11Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, #Gen. 20:1; 25:18by the spring on the way to #Ex. 15:22Shur. 8And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

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

9The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and #(Titus 2:9)submit yourself under her hand.” 10Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, #Gen. 17:20“I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11And the Angel of the Lord said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,

#Luke 1:13, 31And you shall bear a son.

You shall call his name Ishmael,

Because the Lord has heard your affliction.

12#Gen. 21:20; Job 24:5; 39:5–8He shall be a wild man;

His hand shall be against every man,

And every man’s hand against him.

#Gen. 25:18And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

13Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him #Gen. 31:42who sees me?” 14Therefore the well was called #Gen. 24:62Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is #Gen. 14:7; Num. 13:26between Kadesh and Bered.

15So #Gal. 4:22Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

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Genesis 16

Genesis 16