Genesis 16
1 And Sara the wife of Abram bore him
no children; and she had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Agar.
2 And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the
Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may
get children for myself through her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara.
3 So Sara the wife of Abram having
taken Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the
land of Chanaan, gave her to Abram her husband as a wife to him.
4 And he went in to Agar, and she
conceived, and saw that she was with child, and her mistress was dishonoured
before her. 5 And Sara said to Abram,
I am injured by thee; I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and when I saw that
she was with child, I was dishonoured before her. The Lord judge between me
and thee. 6 And Abram said to Sara,
Behold thy handmaid is in thy hands, use her as it may seem good to thee. And
Sara afflicted her, and she fled from her face.
7 And an angel of the Lord found her
by the fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Sur.
8 And the angel of the Lord said to
her, Agar, Sara's maid, whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? and she
said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sara.
9 And the angel of the Lord said to
her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the Lord said to
her, I will surely multiply thy seed, and it shall not be numbered for
multitude. 11 And the angel of the
Lord said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt
call his name Ismael, for the Lord hath hearkened to thy humiliation.
12 He shall be a wild man, his hands
against all, and the hands of all against him, and he shall dwell in the
presence of all his brethren. 13 And
she called the name of the Lord God who spoke to her, Thou art God who seest
me; for she said, For I have openly seen him that appeared to me.
14 Therefore she called the well, The
well of him whom I have openly seen; behold it is between Cades and Barad.
15 And Agar bore a son to Abram; and
Abram called the name of his son which Agar bore to him, Ismael.
16 And Abram was eighty-six years
old, when Agar bore Ismael to Abram.