Genesis 16:1-8 ▼

1 Sarai, Abram's wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, |The LORD has kept me from having children. Why don't you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her.| Abram agreed with Sarai.

3 After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram's wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner.

5 So Sarai complained to Abram, |I'm being treated unfairly! And it's your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she's pregnant, she's being disrespectful to me. May the LORD decide who is right-you or me.|

6 Abram answered Sarai, |Here, she's your slave. Do what you like with her.| Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.

7 The Messenger of the LORD found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the way to Shur.

8 He said, |Hagar, Sarai's slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?| She answered, |I'm running away from my owner Sarai.|