Genesis 16
Modern English Version
The Birth of Ishmael
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children, and she had a maidservant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Please go in to my maid; it may be that I will obtain children through her.”
Abram listened to Sarai. 3 So after Abram had been living for ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, his wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived.
When she saw that she had conceived, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid into your arms; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence.
7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. It was the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?”
And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly so that they will be too many to count.”
11 Then the angel of the Lord said to her,
“You are pregnant
and will bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12 He will be a wild man;
his hand will be against every man,
and every man’s hand will be against him.
And he will dwell
in the presence of all his brothers.”
13 Then she called the name of the Lord that spoke to her, “You are the God who sees,” for she said, “Have I now looked on Him who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the son she bore Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 16
Lexham English Bible
Sarai and Hagar
16 Now[a] Sarai, the wife of Abram, had borne him no children. And she had a female Egyptian servant, and her name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps I will have children by her.”[b] And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 Then[c] Sarai, the wife of Abram, took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband as his wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she[d] saw that she had conceived, then her mistress grew small in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “may my harm be upon you. I had my servant sleep with you,[e] and when she saw that she had conceived, she no longer respected me.[f] May Yahweh judge between me and you!” 6 And Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant is under your authority.[g] Do to her that which is good in your eyes.” And Sarai mistreated her, and she[h] fled from her presence.
Hagar and the Angel of Yahweh
7 And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur. 8 And he said to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, “From where[i] have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai my mistress.” 9 Then[j] the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her authority.”[k] 10 And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will greatly multiply[l] your offspring, so that they cannot be counted for their abundance.” 11 And the angel of Yahweh said to her:
“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall have a son.
And you shall call his name Ishmael,
for Yahweh has listened to your suffering.
12 And he shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand will be against everyone,
and the hand of everyone will be against him,
and he will live in hostility with all his brothers.”[m]
13 So[n] she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are El-Roi,”[o] for she said, “Here I have seen after he who sees me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar had a child for Abram, a son. And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore to him, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Footnotes
- Genesis 16:1 Or “And”
- Genesis 16:2 Literally “I will be built from her”
- Genesis 16:3 Or “And”
- Genesis 16:4 That is, Hagar
- Genesis 16:5 Literally “I put my servant in your lap”
- Genesis 16:5 Literally “I grew small in her eyes”
- Genesis 16:6 Literally “in your hand”
- Genesis 16:6 That is, Hagar
- Genesis 16:8 Literally “where from this”
- Genesis 16:9 Or “And”
- Genesis 16:9 Literally “her hand”
- Genesis 16:10 Literally “multiplying I will multiply”
- Genesis 16:12 Literally “against the face of all his brothers”
- Genesis 16:13 Or “And”
- Genesis 16:13 “God of seeing”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software