Chapter 16

¹Now Sarai the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar, ²She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request, ³She took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife. ⁴And he went in to her. But she, perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress. ⁵And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee. ⁶And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away. ⁷And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, ⁸He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress. ⁹And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand. ¹⁰And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. ¹¹And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. ¹²He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren. ¹³And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me. ¹⁴Therefore she called that well, The well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Bared. ¹⁵And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael. ¹⁶Abram was fourscore and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.