1Now Sarai (My Princess) Avram’s (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) wife bore him no children: and she had an female servant, [from] Mitzrayim (People of the Black Land), whose name was Hagar (Flight).

2And Sarai (My Princess) said unto Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation), Behold now, the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has restrained me from bearing: I pray youi, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) listened to the voice of Sarai (My Princess).

3And Sarai (My Princess) Avram’s (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) wife took Hagar (Flight) her maid the Mitzrayimi (People of the Black Land), after Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) had dwelt ten years in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader; or that humbles and subdues), and gave her to her husband Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) to be his wife.

4And he went in unto Hagar (Flight), and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5And Sarai (My Princess) said unto Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation), My wrong [be] upon youi: I have given my maid into youri bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) judge between me and youi.

6But Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) said unto Sarai (My Princess), Behold, youri maid [is] in youri hand; do to her as it pleases youi. And when Sarai (My Princess) dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7And the angel of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur [wall] (wall).

8And he said, Hagar (Flight), Sarai’s (My Princess) maid, from what place came youi? and to where will youi go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai (My Princess).

9And the angel of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said unto her, Return to youri mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10And the angel of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said unto her, I will multiply youri seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11And the angel of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said unto her, Behold, youi [are] with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]); because the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has heard youri 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-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) that spoke unto her, Youi God-EL Ro’I [The Powerful Living Word Sees Me]: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that sees me?

14For what reason the well was called Be’er-Lachai-Ro’i (well of the living One seeing me); behold, [it is] between Kadesh (to be consecrated, consecrated, sanctified) and Bered (hail, grizzled).

15And Hagar (Flight) bore Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) a son: and Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) called his son’s name, which Hagar (Flight) bore, Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]).

16And Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation) [was] eighty and six years old, when Hagar (Flight) bore Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]) to Avram (Exalted Father; Father Of Elevation).

For more information about the NMV, details about why the names of God are notated and translated as they are, or to learn about the special markings and translations used in this text, click below.

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Genesis 16

Hagar and Ishmael

1Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. 2So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.”

And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife. 4And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.#16:4 Or her mistress became despised in her sight

5Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

6“Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.

7Now the angel #16:7 Or Angel; also in verses 9, 10, and 11; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized. of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur. 8“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.

9So the angel of the Lord told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”

11The angel of the Lord proceeded:

“Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son.

And you shall name him Ishmael,#16:11 Ishmael means God hears.

for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.

12He will be a wild donkey of a man,

and his hand will be against everyone,

and everyone’s hand against him;

he will live in hostility

toward all his brothers.”

13So Hagar gave this name to the Lord who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,#16:13 Hebrew El-Roi” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!” 14Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.#16:14 Beer-lahai-roi means well of the Living One who sees me. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

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Genesis 16

Genesis 16