1Now Sarai Avram’s wife had not borne him a child. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar; 2so Sarai said to Avram, “Here now, Adonai has kept me from having children; so go in and sleep with my slave-girl. Maybe I’ll be able to have children through her.” Avram listened to what Sarai said.

3It was after Avram had lived ten years in the land of Kena‘an that Sarai Avram’s wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to Avram her husband to be his wife. 4Avram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she conceived. But when she became aware that she was pregnant, she looked on her mistress with contempt. 5Sarai said to Avram, “This outrage being done to me is your fault! True, I gave my slave-girl to you to sleep with; but when she saw that she was pregnant, she began holding me in contempt. May Adonai decide who is right — I or you!” 6However, Avram answered Sarai, “Look, she’s your slave-girl. Deal with her as you think fit.” Then Sarai treated her so harshly that she ran away from her.

7The angel of Adonai found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur, 8and said, “Hagar! Sarai’s slave-girl! Where have you come from, and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” 9The angel of Adonai said to her, “Go back to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10The angel of Adonai said to her, “I will greatly increase your descendants; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them.” 11The angel of Adonai said to her, “Look, you are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You are to call him Yishma‘el [God pays attention] because Adonai has paid attention to your misery. 12He will be a wild donkey of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, living his life at odds with all his kinsmen.”

13So she named Adonai who had spoken with her El Ro’i [God of seeing], because she said, “Have I really seen the One who sees me [and stayed alive]?” 14This is why the well has been called Be’er-Lachai-Ro’i [well of the one who lives and sees]; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15Hagar bore Avram a son, and Avram called the son whom Hagar had borne Yishma‘el. 16Avram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Yishma‘el to Avram.

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Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

1Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2Sarai#Gn 3:17 said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4He slept with#16:4 Lit He came to Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering!#16:5 Or “May my suffering be on you! I put my slave in your arms,#16:5 Lit bosom and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”#Gn 31:49; Jos 22:25; 1Sm 24:12

6Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

7The angel of the Lord#Gn 22:11; Ex 3:2; Nm 22:22; Jdg 2:1; 2Sm 24:16; 1Kg 19:7; 2Kg 19:35; Ps 34:7 found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring,#Gn 15:5; 17:2; 26:24; Lv 26:9; Dt 7:13; 30:5; Ps 107:38 and they will be too many to count.”

11The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael,#16:11 = God Hears for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”#Gn 25:18

13So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,”#16:13 = God Sees Me for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen#Gn 32:30; Ex 33:23; Ps 139:1–12 the one who sees me?” #16:13 Hb obscure 14That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi.#16:14 = Well of the Living One Who Sees Me It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

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B'resheet (Gen) 16

Genesis 16