< Genesis 20 >

1 And Abraham journeys from there toward the land of the south, and dwells between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourns in Gerar;
And Abraham brake up from thence, towards the land of the South, and fixed his dwelling between Kadesh and Shur, so he sojourned in Gerar.
2 and Abraham says concerning his wife Sarah, “She is my sister”; and Abimelech king of Gerar sends and takes Sarah.
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: My, sister, is she, —So Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 And God comes to Abimelech in a dream of the night and says to him, “Behold, you [are] a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken—and she married to a husband.”
Then God went in unto Abimelech, in a dream of the night, —and said to him, Behold thee dead! because of the woman whom thou hast taken, seeing that, she, is a married woman.
4 And Abimelech has not drawn near to her, and he says, “Lord, do you also slay a righteous nation?
Now, Abimelech, had not come near unto her, —so he said, O My Lord! a nation even a righteous one, wilt thou slay?
5 Has he not himself said to me, She [is] my sister! And she, even she herself, said, He [is] my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and in the innocence of my hands, I have done this.”
Had not, he himself, said to me, My sister, is she? and even she herself, said, My brother, is he? In the integrity of my heart and in the pureness of my hand, have I done this!
6 And God says to him in the dream, “Indeed, I have known that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I withhold you, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not permitted you to come against her;
And God said unto him in a dream, I, also, knew, that in the integrity of thy heart, thou didst this, so then, even I myself, withheld thee from sinning against me, for this reason, have I not suffered thee to touch her.
7 and now send back the man’s wife, for he [is] inspired, and he prays for you, and you live; and if you do not send back, know that dying you die, you and all that you have.”
Now, therefore restore the man’s wife, for a prophet, is he, that he may pray for thee and live thou, —But if thou art not going to restore her, know, that thou shalt die, thou—and all that are thine.
8 And Abimelech rises early in the morning, and calls for all his servants, and speaks all these words in their ears; and the men fear exceedingly;
So Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and spake all these words in their ears, and the men feared greatly.
9 and Abimelech calls for Abraham and says to him, “What have you done to us? And what have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me, and on my kingdom, a great sin? Works which are not done you have done with me.”
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What hast thou done to us? and wherein had I sinned against thee, that thou shouldst have brought in over me and over my kingdom, a sin so great? Deeds, which should not be done, hast thou done with me.
10 Abimelech also says to Abraham, “What have you seen that you have done this thing?”
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, —What hadst thou seen, that thou shouldst have done this thing?
11 And Abraham says, “Because I said, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they have slain me for the sake of my wife;
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely there is no fear of God, in this place, —therefore will they slay me for the sake of my wife.
12 and also, she is truly my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becomes my wife;
Moreover also, in truth, my sister daughter of my father, she is, only not daughter of my mother, —so she became my wife.
13 and it comes to pass, when God has caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I say to her, This [is] your kindness which you do with me: at every place to where we come, say of me, He [is] my brother.”
And so it came to pass when the Gods caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, This, is thy lovingkindness, wherewith thou shalt deal with me, —Into whatsoever place we enter, say of me My brother, is he.
14 And Abimelech takes sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gives to Abraham, and sends back his wife Sarah to him;
Then took Abimelech sheep and oxen and men—servants and maid-servants, and gave to Abraham, —and restored to him Sarah his wife.
15 and Abimelech says, “Behold, my land [is] before you, where it is good in your eyes, dwell”;
And Abimelech, said, Lo! my land is before thee, —wherever it may seem good in thine eyes, dwell.
16 and to Sarah he has said, “Behold, I have given one thousand pieces of silver to your brother; behold, it is to you a covering of eyes, to all who are with you”; and by all this she is reasoned with.
And to Sarah, he said, Lo! I have given a thousand of silver unto thy brother: Lo! that is for thee as a covering of eyes, to all who are with thee, —And so in every way, hath right been done.
17 And Abraham prays to God, and God heals Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bear:
And Abraham prayed unto God, —and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, so that they bare children,
18 for YHWH restraining had restrained every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
For Yahweh, had restrained from bearing, every female of the house of Abimelech, —because of Sarah, wife of Abraham.

< Genesis 20 >