New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

The Birth of Ishmael

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

1

Sarai and Hagar

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

2

So Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

2

So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3

So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

3

After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.

4

So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.

4

He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

5

Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The LORD will show who’s wrong — you or me!”

5

And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6

Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

6

But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7

The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur.

7

Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.

8

The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.

8

He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

9

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

9

Then the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.”

10

Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

10

Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.”

11

And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the LORD has heard your cry of distress.

11

The angel of the LORD said to her further,
“Behold, you are with child,
And you will bear a son;
And you shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.

12

This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

12

“He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone’s hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

13

Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.”a She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”

13

Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?”

14

So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

14

Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15

So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael.

15

So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16

Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

16

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

Parallel

New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible

Genesis 16

Genesis 16