Let not thy heart be bound by sorrow.  A son shall yet be born 2195 to thee, a child born of thy wife by ordinary birth, who after thee shall be the keeper of the inheritance, rich in property.  Grieve no more:  I am the Lord, who many winters ago led thee out of the stronghold of Caldea 2200 with but few followers, and promised thee a broad dwelling-place for thy possession:  I give thee now my pledge, man of the Hebrews, that many a broad land on this earth shall be peopled with thy progeny, regions 2205 of the world as far as Eufrates even from the borders of Egypt, as many men and as wide a kingdom as the Nile cuts off and the sea bounds:  all this shall thy sons 2210 own, each of the countries, as these three waters sur-round with their streams the lofty cities of stone, the foamy floods [surround] the refuge of the people.”

Then Sarra was grieved at heart that no son had come 2215 to Abraham through their wedlock, a free-born heir for their solace; so the sorrowful one began to speak to her husband in these words: 

“The Ruler of heaven has denied me this, that I 2220 might augment the number of thy family under the skies with sons of thine own.  Now I am hopeless that an heir will ever be given us together:  I am too old, in my misery.  My lord, do as I bid thee.  Here is a 2225 woman, a fair damsel, an Egiptian maid in our possession:  bid her now repair to thy bed forthwith, and see if the Lord will allow any heir for thy goods to come into 2230 the world through this woman!”

Then the holy man yielded to the advice of his wife, and bade the handmaiden go to his couch as a bride.[29] 2235 Her spirit exalted itself, when she had become pregnant with a man-child by Abraham; stiff-necked in scorn she began to despise her mistress, showed insolence, was overweening, and was unwilling to endure servitude but 2240 boldly began to resist Sarra strongly.

Then I heard how the wife spoke to her husband in the sorrow of her heart, with these words; sad in mind she spoke, and said bitterly: 

“Thou dost not deal properly and rightfully with me. 2245 Thou hast hitherto allowed it to happen that my hand-maiden afflict me every day by deed and word, ever since Agar entered thy bed in place of thy wife, as was my entreaty:  she shall pay for this mercilessly, if I 2250 may still control mine own before thee, dear Abraham; of this may the Almighty Lord of Lords be judge between us two!”

The wise-minded man then answered her at once in 2255 these words: 

“Never shall I leave thee without honor, while we both live; but thou must manage thine own maid as pleases thy heart!”

XXVII.

Then Abraham’s queen became unkind, wrathful in 2260 heart towards her serving-maid, hard and cruel, spoke bitter insults to the woman.  Thereupon the latter fled from threat and thraldom:  she would not endure evil and retribution for what she had formerly done to Sarra, 2265 but went forth on a journey to go into the wilderness.  There a servant of glory, an angel of the Lord, found her sorrowing; he eagerly asked her: