The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 16 -

Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.(a)

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

“Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.

Now the angel

(b)

of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur.

“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.

So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.”

Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”

The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael,(c) for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction.

He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,(d)” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!”

Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.(e) It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.

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

Footnotes

(a)16:4 Or her mistress became despised in her sight

(b)16:7 Or Angel; also in verses 9, 10, and 11; corresponding pronouns may also be capitalized.

(d)16:13 Hebrew El-Roi

(e)16:14 Beer-lahai-roi means well of the Living One who sees me.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

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.

He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May The LORD judge between me and you.”

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

The LORD’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.

He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

The LORD’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”

The LORD’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.”

The LORD’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.

He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”

She called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”

Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi.(a) Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Footnotes

(a)16:14 Beer Lahai Roi means “well of the one who lives and sees me”.