2And Sarai said to Aḇram, “See, יהוה has kept me from bearing children. Please, go in to my female servant. It might be that I am built up by her.” And Aḇram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3And Sarai, Aḇram’s wife, took Haḡar her female servant, the Mitsrian, and gave her to her husband Aḇram to be his wife, after Aḇram had dwelt ten years in the land of Kena‛an.

4And he went in to Haḡar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5And Sarai said to Aḇram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my female servant into your bosom. And when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Let יהוה judge between you and me.”

6And Aḇram said to Sarai, “See, your female servant is in your hand, do to her what is good in your eyes.” And Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7And the Messenger of יהוה found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur,

8and He said, “Haḡar, Sarai’s female servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai, my mistress.”

9And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hand.”

10And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “I am going to increase your seed greatly, too numerous to be counted.”

11And the Messenger of יהוה said to her, “See, you are conceiving and bearing a son, and shall call his name Yishma‛ĕl, because יהוה has heard your affliction.

12“And he is to be a wild man, his hand against every one and every one’s hand against him, and dwell over against all his brothers.”

13And she called the Name of יהוה who spoke to her, “You are the Ěl who sees,” for she said, “Even here have I seen after Him who sees me?”

14That is why the well was called Be’ĕr Laḥai Ro’i, see, it is between Qaḏĕsh and Bereḏ.

15And Haḡar bore Aḇram a son, and Aḇram called the name of his son, whom Haḡar bore, Yishma‛ĕl.

16And Aḇram was eighty-six years old when Haḡar bore Yishma‛ĕl to Aḇram.

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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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Berĕshith (Genesis) 16

Genesis 16