1 Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
2 She said to Abram: Jehovah has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my maidservant. Perhaps I can build a family through her. Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3 After Abram lived in Canaan ten years, Sarai, his wife, gave her Egyptian maidservant Hagar to her husband to be his wife.
4 Abram had intercourse with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram: You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms; she knows she is pregnant and she despises me. May Jehovah judge between you and me.
6 Your servant is in your hands, Abram said. Do with her whatever you think best. Then Sarai mistreated Hagar. So she ran away from her.
7 The angel of Jehovah found Hagar near a spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
8 He said: Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going? I am running away from my mistress Sarai, she answered.
9 Then the angel of Jehovah told her: Go back to your mistress and submit to her.
10 I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count.
11 Jehovah's angel also said: You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael (means: God hears). Jehovah has heard of your misery.
12 He (Ishmael) will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him. He will live in hostility toward all his brothers.