16:1 At that time Abram’s wife Sarai
had
not had any children.
She
kept an Egyptian housemaid
whose
name was Hagar.
16:2 So Sarai said to Abram:
See
how Yahweh has restrained me
from
having children.
Please
go to my housemaid
So
I may have children by her.
And
Abram heard Sarai.
16:3 Then Abram’s wife Sarai
took
Hagar her Egyptian housemaid
and
after Abram had lived in
for
over twelve years
gave
her to her husband Abram
to
be his wife.
16:4 So he had sex with Hagar
and
she conceived.
When
she had conceived
she
began to despise her mistress.
16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram:
My
mistake has come to you.
I
gave my maid to your embrace
and
when she conceived
she
began to despise me.
May
Yahweh decide this matter for us.
16:6 Then Abram said to Sarai:
Indeed
the housemaid is yours
do
to her as you please.
Then
Sarai dealt harshly with her
and
she fled from her presence.
16:7 Then the Angel of Yahweh
found
her by a water spring
within
the wilderness
by
the springs on the way to Shur.
16:8 So he told Sarai's housemaid Hagar:
Where
have you come from
and
where are you going?
She
replied:
I
am running from the presence
of
my mistress Sarai.
16:9 The Angel of Yahweh said to her:
return
to your mistress
and
submit yourself to her.
16:10 The Angel of Yahweh added:
Your
descendants will significantly increase
to
be too numerous to count.
16:11 Then the Angel of Yahweh said:
Now
you are with child
and
will bear a son.
He
will be called Ishmael
because
Yahweh heard your suffering.
16:12 He will be a ferocious man.
He
will challenge all men
and
all men will challenge him.
And
he will resist his kinsmen.
16:13 She then praised the Name of Yahweh
Saying
You are the God Who sees
may
I also see Him who sees me?
16:14 Thus the spring was named
‘Spring
of the One Who Sees Me’
located
between Kadesh and Bered.
16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old
when
Hagar brought forth Ishmael to Abram.
