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Hagar and Ishmael

16 Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, ‘Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.’ And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.(A) So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. He slept with[a] Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for my suffering![b] I put my slave in your arms,[c] and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.’(B)

Abram replied to Sarai, ‘Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.’ Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

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Footnotes

  1. 16:4 Lit He came to
  2. 16:5 Or ‘May my suffering be on you!
  3. 16:5 Lit bosom