Genesis 20

1 Abraham yede forth fro thennus in to the lond of the south, and dwellide bitwixe Cades and Sur, and was a pilgrym in Geraris;

And Abraham journeys from there toward the land of the south, and dwells between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourns in Gerar;

2 and he seide of Sare, his wijf, Sche is my sistir. Therfor Abymalec, kyng of Gerare, sente, and took hir.

and Abraham says concerning his wife Sarah, “She is my sister”; and Abimelech king of Gerar sends and takes Sarah.

3 Sotheli God cam to Abymalec bi a sweuene in the nyyt, and seide to hym, Lo! thou schalt die, for the wooman which thou hast take, for sche hath an hosebond.

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.”

4 Forsothe Abymalech touchide not hir; and he seide, Lord, whether thou schalt sle folc vnkunnynge and iust?

And Abimelech has not drawn near to her, and he says, “Lord, do you also slay a righteous nation?

5 Whether he seide not to me, Sche is my sistir, and sche seide, He is my brother? In the symplenesse of myn herte, and in the clennesse of myn hondis Y dide this.

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.”

6 And the Lord seide to hym, And Y woot that thou didist bi symple herte, and therfor Y kepte thee, lest thou didist synne ayens me, and I suffride not that thou touchidist hir;

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;

7 now therfor yelde thou the wijf to hir hosebonde, for he is a profete; and he schal preye for thee, and thou schalt lyue; sotheli if thou nylte yelde, wite thou that thou schalt die bi deeth, thou and alle thingis that ben thine.

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.”

8 And anoon Abynalech roos bi nyyt, and clepide alle his seruauntis, and spak alle these wordis in the eeris of hem; and alle men dredden greetli.

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;

9 Sotheli Abymalec clepide also Abraham, and seide to hym, What hast thou do to vs? what synneden we ayens thee, for thou hast brouyt in on me and on my rewme a greuouse synne? thou hast do to vs whiche thingis thou ouytist not do.

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.”

10 And eft Abimalech axide, and seide, What thing seiyist thou, that thou woldist do this?

Abimelech also says to Abraham, “What have you seen that you have done this thing?”

11 Abraham answerde, Y thouyte with me, and seide, in hap the drede of God is not in this place; and thei schulen sle me for my wijf;

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;

12 in other maner forsothe and sche is my sister verili, the douyter of my fadir, and not the douyter of my moder; and Y weddide hir in to wijf;

and also, she is truly my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becomes my wife;

13 sotheli aftir that God ladde me out of the hous of my fadir, Y seide to hir, Thou schalt do this mercy with me in ech place to which we schulen entre; thou schalt seie, that Y am thi brother.

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.”

14 Therfore Abymelech took scheep, and oxun, and seruauntis, and handmaydenes, and yaf to Abraham; and he yeldide to him Sare, `his wijf, and seide, The lond is bifor you;

And Abimelech takes sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gives to Abraham, and sends back his wife Sarah to him;

15 dwelle thou, where euere it plesith thee. Forsothe Abymelech seide to Sare, Lo!

and Abimelech says, “Behold, my land [is] before you, where it is good in your eyes, dwell”;

16 Y yaf a thousand platis of siluer to thi brother; this schal be to thee in to hiling of iyen to al men that ben with thee; and whider euere thou goist, haue thou mynde that thou art takun.

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.

17 Sotheli for Abraham preiede, God curide Abymelech, and his wijf, and handmaydens, and thei childiden;

And Abraham prays to God, and God heals Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bear:

18 for God hadde closid ech wombe of the hows of Abymelech, for Sare, the wijf of Abraham.

for YHWH restraining had restrained every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.