Genesis 16

Revised Geneva Translation

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. And she had a maid—an Egyptian—Hagar by name.

² And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has restrained me from childbearing. I urge you to go in to my maid. It may be that I shall receive a child by her.” And Abram obeyed the voice of Sarai.

³ Then Sarai, Abram’s wife (after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan) took Hagar, her maid (the Egyptian) and gave her to her husband, Abram, for his wife.

⁴ And he went in to Hagar; and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she despised her mistress in her eyes.

⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “You do me wrong. I have given my maid into your bosom; and she sees that she has conceived, and I am despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me.”

⁶ Then Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do with her as it pleases you.” Then Sarai dealt roughly with her. Therefore, she fled from her.

⁷ But the Angel of the LORD found her beside a fountain, on the way to Shur.

⁸ And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, from where have you come? And where are you going?” And she said, “I have fled from my mistress, Sarai.”

⁹ Then, the Angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hands.”

¹⁰ Again, the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will so greatly increase your seed that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”

¹¹ Also, the Angel of the LORD said to her, “See, you are with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name, ‘Ishmael’. For the LORD has heard your tribulation.

¹² “And he shall be a wild man. His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brothers.”

¹³ Then, she called the Name of the LORD Who spoke to her, “You, God, look upon me!” For she said, “Have I not also looked at the back of Him Who sees me?”

¹⁴ Therefore, the well was called, “Beer Lahai Roi”, between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ And Hagar bore Abram a son. And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, “Ishmael”.

¹⁶ And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.