THE ANGEL BY THE WELL
Gen. 16:1, to 17:27.
On remember that Ā́ brăm’s wife, who had journeyed with him from Tar of the Chăĺ dees̞, and who lived in his tent all those years, was named Sā́ rāi. Now Sā́ rāi had a maid', a servant that waited on her, whose name was Hā́ gar. She came from the land of Ḗ ġy̆pt, where were the pyramids and the temples. But Sā́ rāi and her maid Hā́ gar had some trouble; they could not agree, and Sā́ rai was so sharp and severe with Hā́ gar that at last Hā́ gar ran away from Sā́ lrai's tent.
She went out into the desert, and took the road that led down to Ḗ ġy̆pt, her own country, the land from which she had come. On the way she stopped beside a spring of water. There the angel from the Lord met her, and said to her:
"Hā́ gar, are you not the servant of Sā́ rāi, Ā́ brăm's wife? What are you doing here? Where are you going?”
And Hắ gar said to the angel:
"I am going away from my mistress Sā́ rāi, because I do not wish to stay with her and serve her any longer.”
Then the angel said to Há̄ gar:
"Go back to your mistress Sā́ rāi, and submit to her, for it is better for you than to go away. God knows all your troubles, for he sees and hears you, and he will help you. By and by you shall have a son, and you shall call his name Ĭsh́ ma-el, because God has heard you.”
The word Ĭsh́ ma-el means "God hears." So whenever Ha' gar should speak her boy's name, she would think "God has heard me.”
Then the angel told Hā́lgar that her son Ĭsh́ ma-el should be strong and fierce, and that no one should be able to overcome him, or his children, or his descendants, those who should come after him. So Hā́ gar was comforted, and went back again to serve Sā́ rāi.
And afterward the well where she saw the angel was called by a name which means "The well of the Living One who sees me." And after this, Hā́ gar had a son; and as the angel told her, she called his name Ĭsh́ ma-el; that is, "God hears." We shall read more about Hā́ gar and Ĭsh́ ma-el a little later. After this, while Ā́ brăm was living near Hḗ bron, the Lord came to him again and spoke to him, while Ā́ brăm bowed with his face to the ground. God said: "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be perfect and I will make you a father of many nations. And your name shall be changed. You shall no more be called Abram, but Ā́ bră-hăm, a word that means `Father of a multitude,' because you shall be the father of many nations of people. And your wife's name shall also be changed. She shall no more be called Sā́ rāi, but Sā́ rah; that is, 'princess.' And you and Sā́ rah shall have a son, and you shall call his name Ī́ s̝aac; and he shall have sons when he becomes a man, and his descendants, those who spring from him, shall be very many people." So from this time he was no longer Ā́ brăm, but Ā́ bră-hăm, and his wife was called Sā́ rah.,