Genesis 16:1-13 ▼

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children, but she had an Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.

2 Sarai said to Abram, |Look now, God has prevented 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.

3 So 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 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 Sarai said to Abram, |This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. God judge between me and you.|

6 But Abram said to Sarai, |Look, your servant is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your sight.| Sarai dealt harshly with her, so she fled from her presence.

7 And an angel of God found her by a spring of water in the desert, by the spring on the way to Shur.

8 And he said, |Hagar, servant of Sarai, where did you come from, and where are you going?| And she said, |I am running away from the presence of my mistress Sarai.|

9 The angel of the LORD said to her, |Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.|

10 The angel of the LORD said to her, |I will greatly multiply your descendants, so that they will be too numerous to count.|

11 Then angel of God said to her, |Look, you are with child, and will bear a son. You are to name him Ishmael, because God has heard your affliction.

12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he will live away from all of his brothers.|

13 She called his name, who spoke to her, |You are El Roi,| for she said, |Here I have seen the one who sees me.|