Add parallel Print Page Options

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. 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. 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. 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. 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!” 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

And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur. 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.” 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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:1 Or “And”
  2. Genesis 16:2 Literally “I will be built from her”
  3. Genesis 16:3 Or “And”
  4. Genesis 16:4 That is, Hagar
  5. Genesis 16:5 Literally “I put my servant in your lap”
  6. Genesis 16:5 Literally “I grew small in her eyes”
  7. Genesis 16:6 Literally “in your hand”
  8. Genesis 16:6 That is, Hagar
  9. Genesis 16:8 Literally “where from this”
  10. Genesis 16:9 Or “And”
  11. Genesis 16:9 Literally “her hand”
  12. Genesis 16:10 Literally “multiplying I will multiply”
  13. Genesis 16:12 Literally “against the face of all his brothers”
  14. Genesis 16:13 Or “And”
  15. Genesis 16:13 “God of seeing”

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, (A)had borne him no children. And she had (B)an Egyptian maidservant whose name was (C)Hagar. (D)So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord (E)has restrained me from bearing children. Please, (F)go in to my maid; perhaps I shall [a]obtain children by her.” And Abram (G)heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram (H)had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became (I)despised in her [b]eyes.

Then Sarai said to Abram, [c]“My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. (J)The Lord judge between you and me.”

(K)So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, (L)she fled from her presence.

Now the (M)Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, (N)by the spring on the way to (O)Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and (P)submit yourself under her hand.” 10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, (Q)“I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 11 And the Angel of the Lord said to her:

“Behold, you are with child,
(R)And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name [d]Ishmael,
Because the Lord has heard your affliction.
12 (S)He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man’s hand against him.
(T)And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-[e]the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here [f]seen Him (U)who sees me?” 14 Therefore the well was called (V)Beer Lahai Roi;[g] observe, it is (W)between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So (X)Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:2 Lit. be built up from
  2. Genesis 16:4 sight
  3. Genesis 16:5 The wrong done to me be
  4. Genesis 16:11 Lit. God Hears
  5. Genesis 16:13 Heb. El Roi
  6. Genesis 16:13 Seen the back of
  7. Genesis 16:14 Lit. Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me