Parallel Verses
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.
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.
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.
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 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
Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.
2 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.
Phrases
Cross References
Genesis 3:1-6
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
Genesis 3:12
Then the man replied,
Genesis 3:17
And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’:
You will eat from it by means of painful labor
all the days of your life.
Genesis 17:16
I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her.
Genesis 18:10
The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”
Genesis 20:18
for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 25:21
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless.
Genesis 30:2-4
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld children
Genesis 30:6
Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son,” and she named him Dan.
Genesis 30:9-10
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.
Exodus 21:4
If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.
Ruth 4:11
The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah,
Psalm 127:3
children, a reward.