Parallel Verses
NET Bible
So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.
New American Standard Bible
So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.
King James Version
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Holman Bible
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.
International Standard Version
So Sarai told Abram, "You are well aware that the LORD has prevented me from giving birth to a child. Go have sex with my servant, so that I may possibly bear a son through her."
A Conservative Version
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, LORD has restrained me from bearing. Go in, I pray thee, to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain sons by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
American Standard Version
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Amplified
So Sarai said to Abram, “See here, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. I am asking you to go in to [the bed of] my maid [so that she may bear you a child]; perhaps I will
Bible in Basic English
And Sarai said to Abram, See, the Lord has not let me have children; go in to my servant, for I may get a family through her. And Abram did as Sarai said.
Darby Translation
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Julia Smith Translation
And Sarai will say to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah restrained me from bringing forth; go now to my maid servant; perhaps I shall have children from her. And Abram will listen to the voice of Sarai.
King James 2000
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing: I pray you, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Lexham Expanded Bible
And Sarai said to Abram, "Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps {I will have children by her}." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Modern King James verseion
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has kept me from bearing. I pray you, go in to my slave woman. It may be that I may be built by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale
Wherefore she said unto Abram, "Behold the LORD hath closed me, that I can not bear. I pray thee go in unto my maid, peradventure I shall be multiplied by means of her." And Abram heard the voice of Sarai.
New Heart English Bible
Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
The Emphasized Bible
So then Sarai said unto Abram Behold, I pray thee, Yahweh hath restrained me, from bearing, go in I pray thee unto, my handmaid, peradventure I may be built up from, her, And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Webster
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
World English Bible
Sarai said to Abram, "See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Youngs Literal Translation
and Sarai saith unto Abram, 'Lo, I pray thee, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing, go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; perhaps I am built up from her;' and Abram hearkeneth to the voice of Sarai.
Themes
Ishmael » The outcast, life summarized » Born of a bigamous marriage, with a foreigner
Responsibility » Attempts to shift » Sarah
Sarah » Also called sarai » Is sterile; gives her handmaiden, hagar, to abraham as a concubine
Topics
Interlinear
Yalad
Shiphchah
Banah
References
Word Count of 20 Translations in Genesis 16:2
Verse Info
Context Readings
Sarai And Hagar
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him. 3 So after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram's wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife.
Phrases
Cross References
Genesis 3:1-6
Now the serpent was more shrewd than any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Is it really true that God said, 'You must not eat from any tree of the orchard'?"
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."
Genesis 3:17
But to Adam he said, "Because you obeyed your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!"
Genesis 18:10
One of them said, "I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!" (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Genesis 25:21
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
Genesis 30:2-4
Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"
Genesis 30:6
Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son." That is why she named him Dan.
Genesis 30:9-10
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
Genesis 30:22
Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.
Exodus 21:4
If his master gave him a wife, and she bore sons or daughters, the wife and the children will belong to her master, and he will go out by himself.
Ruth 4:11
All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May you prosper in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.
Psalm 127:3
Yes, sons are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.