Genesis 16

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children for him. And she had an Egyptian servant. Her name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, Yehovah has kept me from having children. Please go in to my servant. Maybe I will be built up through her.” And Abram listened to Sarai’s voice. 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her master Sarai was of little importance in her eyes. 5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong done to me is on you. I gave my servant into your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became of little importance in her eyes. May Yehovah judge between me and you.”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant is under your authority. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” And Sarai oppressed her, and she ran away from her.

7 Now Yehovah’s Messenger found her by a spring of water in the backcountry, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?”

She said, “I am running away from my master Sarai.”

9 Yehovah’s Messenger said to her, “Go back to your master, and submit yourself under her authority.” 10 Then Yehovah’s Messenger said to her, “I will increase, increase your offspring into an uncountable multitude.” 11 And Yehovah’s Messenger said to her,


“Look, you are pregnant,and will give birth to a son.Call his name Ishmael (which means God Hears),because Yehovah has heard your oppression. 12 He will be a wild stallion man—his hand against all,and the hand of all against him.And he will settle around all his brothers.”

13 And she called the name of Yehovah Who spoke to her, “You are ‘God-of-Seeing,’” because she said, “Do I also really go on seeing here, after He saw me?” 14 Therefore the well was called Well-of-the-Living-One-Seeing-Me. Look, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar gave birth to, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.


Next: Chapter 17

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