Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai,^(A) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.^(B) But she had an Egyptian slave^(C) named Hagar;^{(D) 2} so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.^(E) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”^(F)

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan^(G) ten years,^(H) Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar,^(I) and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.^{(J) 5} Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”^(K)

² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son^(A) to Abraham in his old age,^(B) at the very time God had promised him.^(C)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

⁸ The child grew and was weaned,^(A) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹ But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham^(B) was mocking,^{(C) 10} and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman^(D) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”^(E)

¹¹ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.^{(F) 12} But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring^[a] will be reckoned.^{(G) 13} I will make the son of the slave into a nation^(H) also, because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.^(I) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.^(J)

¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she^[b] began to sob.^(K)

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying,^(L) and the angel of God^(M) called to Hagar from heaven^(N) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;^(O) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.^(P)”