< Genesis 20 >

1 And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadash and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister: And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the king of Gerara sent, and took her.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou [art but] a dead man, on account of the woman whom thou hast taken: for she [is] a man's wife.
And 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.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?
Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, that is ignorant and just?
5 Said he not to me, She [is] my sister? and she, even she herself said, He [is] my brother: in the integrity of my heart, and innocence of my hands have I done this.
Did 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.
6 And God said to him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.
And 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.
7 Now therefore restore to the man [his] wife, for he [is] a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou shalt not restore [her], know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that [are] thine.
Now 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.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were greatly afraid.
And 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.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What has thou done to us? and in what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds to me that ought not to be done.
And 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.
10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
And again he expostulated with him, and said, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, surely the fear of God [is] not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
Abraham 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:
12 And yet indeed [she is] my sister: she [is] the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Howbeit, 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.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, This [is] thy kindness which thou shalt show to me; At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He [is] my brother.
And 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.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave [them] to Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.
And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara, his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land [is] before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please thee.
16 And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand [pieces] of silver: behold, he [is] to thee a covering of the eyes, to all that [are] with thee, and with all [other]: thus she was reproved.
And 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.
17 So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bore [children].
And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children:
18 For the LORD had made barren all the females of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech on account of Sara, Abraham’s wife.

< Genesis 20 >