Genesis 16:1-11

Now Sarai had borne no children for Abram. She had an Egyptian slave girl named Hagar, so Sarai said to Abram, “Please listen. Since YAHWEH has kept me childless, go sleep with my maidservant. Perhaps through her I can build you a family.” Abram listened and did what Sarai asked. Abram had already lived ten years in the land of Canaan when his wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave girl Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his second wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she belittled Sarai and despised her. So Sarai went to Abram and said, “It’s totally your fault that Hagar despises me—and you’re not standing up for me! I gave my slave girl to your embrace, and when she found out she was pregnant, she despised me. May YAHWEH judge between us who is in the right!” Abram responded, “She’s your slave girl under your authority, so do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai cruelly mistreated Hagar, who then ran away from her. The angel of YAHWEH encountered Hagar by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. He asked her, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and what are you doing here?” She replied, “I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.” The angel of YAHWEH told her, “You have to go back to your mistress and humbly submit to her.” The angel added, “I will greatly multiply your descendants until no one can count them.” YAHWEH’s angel continued, “You are now pregnant, and soon you will give birth to a son. You will name him Ishmael, for YAHWEH has heard your cries of distress.