Genesis 16
Common English Bible
Hagar and the Ishmaelites’ origins
16 Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to have children. Since she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar, 2 Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from giving birth, so go to my servant. Maybe she will provide me with children.” Abram did just as Sarai said. 3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when she realized that she was pregnant, she no longer respected her mistress. 5 Sarai said to Abram, “This harassment is your fault. I allowed you to embrace my servant, but when she realized she was pregnant, I lost her respect. Let the Lord decide who is right, you or me.”
6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since she’s your servant, do whatever you wish to her.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from Sarai.
7 The Lord’s messenger found Hagar at a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur, 8 and said, “Hagar! Sarai’s servant! Where did you come from and where are you going?”
She said, “From Sarai my mistress. I’m running away.”
9 The Lord’s messenger said to her, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her harsh treatment of you.” 10 The Lord’s messenger also said to her,
“I will give you many children,
so many they can’t be counted!”
11 The Lord’s messenger said to her,
“You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son.
You will name him Ishmael[a]
because the Lord has heard about your harsh treatment.
12 He will be a wild mule of a man;
he will fight everyone, and they will fight him.
He will live at odds with all his relatives.”[b]
13 Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are El Roi”[c] because she said, “Can I still see after he saw me?”[d] 14 Therefore, that well is called Beer-lahai-roi;[e] it’s the well between Kadesh and Bered. 15 Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.
Footnotes
- Genesis 16:11 Or God hears
- Genesis 16:12 Or He will reside near all his relatives.
- Genesis 16:13 Or God who sees or God whom I’ve seen
- Genesis 16:13 Heb uncertain; or Have I really seen God and survived?
- Genesis 16:14 Or the Well of the Living One who sees me or whom I’ve seen
Genesis 16
Evangelical Heritage Version
Hagar and Ishmael
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore no children for him. She had a servant girl,[a] an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my servant girl. It may be that I can build up a family through her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her servant girl, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 He went to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, she looked down on her mistress. 5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong that I am suffering is on account of you. I gave my servant girl into your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked down on me. May the Lord judge between me and you.”
6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant girl is in your hands. Do to her whatever seems good to you.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence.
7 The Angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a flowing spring in the wilderness, beside the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, servant girl of Sarai, where did you come from? Where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants, so that they will be too many to count.” 11 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Listen, you are expecting a child and will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,[b] because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will dwell in hostility toward[c] all of his brothers.”
13 She called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Here have I really seen him who sees me?”[d] 14 Therefore the well was called Be’er Lahai Roi.[e] It is right there between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram. Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael for him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 16:1 Or female slave. Shiphchah is allegedly the lower level word for a female servant who serves as an attendant to the lady of the house.
- Genesis 16:11 In Hebrew Ishmael sounds like God heard.
- Genesis 16:12 Or far away from
- Genesis 16:13 Or Have I been permitted to see even a glimpse of him who sees me?
- Genesis 16:14 Be’er Lahai Roi means well of the one who lives and sees me.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.