Genesis

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

1Sarai was Abram's wife. She had never had any children. She had a servant girl from Egypt named Hagar.

2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

2Sarai said to Abram, "God has not let me have a baby. Please have a baby with my servant Hagar. Then maybe I can have a family through her." Abram did what Sarai said.

3And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

3By now Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan. Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

4And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

4Abram and Hagar had a baby starting to grow inside her. When Hagar knew this, she began to look down on Sarai.

5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

5Sarai said to Abram, "This hurt is your fault. I gave my servant to you. Now she knows she is having a baby. She looks down on me. Let God decide who is right, you or me."

6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

6Abram said, "Your servant belongs to you. Do what you think is best." Then Sarai was very mean to Hagar. So Hagar ran away from her.

7And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

7God sent a messenger to Hagar. He found her in the dry, empty land. She was beside a spring of water on the road to Shur.

8And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

8He said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am running away from Sarai."

9And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

9The messenger from God said to her, "Go back to Sarai. Do what she tells you to do."

10And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

10The messenger from God also said, "I will give you so many children and grandchildren that no one will be able to count them."

11And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

11The messenger from God said, "You are going to have a baby boy. Name him Ishmael. God has heard how much you are hurting."

NoteThe name Ishmael means "God hears."

12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

12"He will live wild and free. He will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him. He will live near all his family, but not in peace with them."

NoteThe old words say "a wild man." The Hebrew says he will be like a wild donkey. That means he will roam free and not be tied down.

13And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

13Hagar gave a name to God, who had talked with her. She called him "You are the God who sees me." She said, "Have I really seen the One who sees me?"

14Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

14That is why people call the well Beerlahairoi. It is between the towns of Kadesh and Bered.

NoteBeerlahairoi means "the well of the Living One who sees me."

15And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

15Hagar had a baby boy for Abram. Abram named him Ishmael.

16And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

16Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.