Genesis 16:1-11

Hagar and Ishmael 1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;

2so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.

4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

6“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.

8And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

10The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, Ishmael means God hears. for the LORD has heard of your misery.