7-8 An angel of God found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. He said, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?”

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

9-12 The angel of God said, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse.” He continued, “I’m going to give you a big family, children past counting.

From this pregnancy, you’ll get a son: Name him Ishmael;
    for God heard you, God answered you.
He’ll be a bucking bronco of a man,
    a real fighter, fighting and being fought,
Always stirring up trouble,
    always at odds with his family.”

13 She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me!

“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”

14 That’s how that desert spring got named “God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring.” That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

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The angel of the Lord(A) found Hagar near a spring(B) in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.(C) And he said, “Hagar,(D) slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”(E)

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”(F)

11 The angel of the Lord(G) also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.(H)
You shall name him(I) Ishmael,[a](J)
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.(K)
12 He will be a wild donkey(L) of a man;
    his hand will be against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
    toward[b] all his brothers.(M)

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,(N)” for she said, “I have now seen[c] the One who sees me.”(O) 14 That is why the well(P) was called Beer Lahai Roi[d];(Q) it is still there, between Kadesh(R) and Bered.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:11 Ishmael means God hears.
  2. Genesis 16:12 Or live to the east / of
  3. Genesis 16:13 Or seen the back of
  4. Genesis 16:14 Beer Lahai Roi means well of the Living One who sees me.