Genesis 20

1Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

2And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the king of Gerara sent, and took her.

3And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Lo thou shalt die for the woman thou hast taken: for she hath a husband.

4Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, that is ignorant and just?

5Did not he say to me: She is my sister: and she say, He is my brother? in the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands have I done this.

6And God said to him: And I know that thou didst it with a sincere heart: and therefore I withheld thee from sinning against me, and I suffered thee not to touch her.

7Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet: and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou wilt not restore her, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.

8And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were exceedingly afraid.

9And Abimelech called also for Abraham, and said to him: What hast thou done to us? what have we offended thee in, that thou hast brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done to us what thou oughtest not to do.

10And again he expostulated with him, and said, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this?

11Abraham answered: I thought with myself, saying: Perhaps there is not the fear of God in this place: and they will kill me for the sake of my wife:

12Howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her to wife.

13And after God brought me out of my father’s house, I said to her: Thou shalt do me this kindness: In every place, to which we shall come, thou shalt say that I am thy brother.

14And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara, his wife.

15And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please thee.

16And to Sara he said: Behold I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: this shall serve thee for a covering of thy eyes to all that are with thee, and whithersoever thou shalt go: and remember thou wast taken.

17And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children:

18For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech on account of Sara, Abraham’s wife.

1Profectus inde Abraham in terram australem, habitavit inter Cades et Sur: et peregrinatus est in Geraris.

2Dixitque de Sara uxore suo: Soror mea est. Misit ergo Abimelech rex Geraræ, et tulit eam.

3Venit autem Deus ad Abimelech per somnium nocte, et ait illi: En morieris propter mulierem quam tulisti: habet enim virum.

4Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam, et ait: Domine, num gentem ignorantem et justam interficies?

5nonne ipse dixit mihi: Soror mea est: et ipsa ait: Frater meus est? In simplicitate cordis mei, et munditia manuum mearum feci hoc.

6Dixitque ad eum Deus: Et ego scio quod simplici corde feceris: et ideo custodivi te ne peccares in me, et non dimisi ut tangeres eam.

7Nunc ergo redde viro suo uxorem, quia propheta est: et orabit pro te, et vives: si autem nolueris reddere, scito quod morte morieris tu, et omnia quæ tua sunt.

8Statimque de nocte consurgens Abimelech, vocavit omnes servos suos: et locutus est universa verba hæc in auribus eorum, timueruntque omnes viri valde.

9Vocavit autem Abimelech etiam Abraham, et dixit ei: Quid fecisti nobis? quid peccavimus in te, quia induxisti super me et super regnum meum peccatum grande? quæ non debuisti facere, fecisti nobis.

10Rursumque expostulans, ait: Quid vidisti, ut hoc faceres?

11Respondit Abraham: Cogitavi mecum, dicens: Forsitan non est timor Dei in loco isto: et interficient me propter uxorem meam:

12alias autem et vere soror mea est, filia patris mei, et non filia matris meæ, et duxi eam in uxorem.

13Postquam autem eduxit me Deus de domo patris mei, dixi ad eam: Hanc misericordiam facies mecum: in omni loco, ad quem ingrediemur, dices quod frater tuus sim.

14Tulit igitur Abimelech oves et boves, et servos et ancillas, et dedit Abraham: reddiditque illi Saram uxorem suam,

15et ait: Terra coram vobis est, ubicumque tibi placuerit habita.

16Saræ autem dixit: Ecce mille argenteos dedi fratri tuo, hoc erit tibi in velamen oculorum ad omnes qui tecum sunt, et quocumque perrexeris: mementoque te deprehensam.

17Orante autem Abraham, sanavit Deus Abimelech et uxorem, ancillasque ejus, et pepererunt:

18concluserat enim Dominus omnem vulvam domus Abimelech propter Saram uxorem Abrahæ.

1Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.

2And he said about his wife Sarah: “She is my sister.” Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her.

3Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: “Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.”

4In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: “Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just?

5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.”

6And God said to him: “And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her.

7Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.”

8And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid.

9Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: “What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.”

10And remonstrating him again, he said, “What did you see, so that you would do this?”

11Abraham responded: “I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife.

12Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife.

13Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’ ”

14Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.

15And he said, “The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you.”

16Then to Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.”

17Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.

18For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.