BERĔSHITH 16 (Genesis 16)

1 And Sarai, Aḇram’s wife, had borne him no child. And she had a Mitsrite female servant whose name was Haḡar.

2 And Sarai said to Aḇram, “See, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has kept me from bearing children. Please, go in to my female servant. It might be that I am built up by her.” And Aḇram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3 And Sarai, Aḇram’s wife, took Haḡar her female servant, the Mitsrite, and gave her to her husband Aḇram to be his wife, after Aḇram had dwelt ten years in the land of Kena’an.

4 And he went in to Haḡar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 And Sarai said to Aḇram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my female servant into your bosom. And when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Let 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 judge between you and me.”

6 And Aḇram said to Sarai, “See, your female servant is in your hand, do to her what is good in your eyes.”  And Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7 And the Messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur,

8 and He said, “Haḡar, Sarai’s female servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai, my mistress.”

9 And the Messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hand.”

10 And the Messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to her, “I am going to increase your seed greatly, too numerous to be counted.”

11 And the Messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to her, “See, you are conceiving and bearing a son, and shall call his name Yishma’ĕl, because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has heard your affliction.

12 “And he is to be a wild man, his hand against every one and every one’s hand against him, and dwell over against all his brothers.”

13 And she called the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who spoke to her, “You are the Ĕl who sees,” for she said, “Even here have I seen after Him who sees me?”

14 That is why the well was called Be’ĕr Laḥai Ro’i, see, it is between Qaḏĕsh and Bereḏ.

15 And Haḡar bore Aḇram a son, and Aḇram called the name of his son, whom Haḡar bore, Yishma’ĕl.

16 And Aḇram was eighty-six years old when Haḡar bore Yishma’ĕl to Aḇram.