Genesis 20

1Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cedes 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.

An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

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Genesis 20

CHAPTER 20

1Abraham went forth from thence into the land of the south, and dwelled betwixt Kadesh and Shur, and was a pilgrim in Gerar;

2and he said of Sarah, his wife, She is my sister. Therefore Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent, and took her.

3Soothly God came to Abimelech by a sweven in the night, and said to him, Lo! thou shalt die, for the woman which thou hast taken, for she hath an husband.

4Forsooth Abimelech [had] touched not her; and he said, Lord, whether thou shalt slay a folk unknowing and just [or rightwise]?

5Whether he said not to me, She is my sister, and she said, He is my brother? In the simpleness of mine heart, and in the cleanness of mine hands, I did this.

6And the Lord said to him, And I know that thou didest by simple heart, and therefore I kept thee, lest thou didest sin against me, and I suffered not that thou touchedest her;

7now therefore yield thou the wife to her husband, for he is a prophet; and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; soothly if thou wilt not yield her, know thou that thou shalt die by death, thou, and all things that be thine.

8And at once Abimelech rose by night, and called all his servants, and spake all these words in the ears of them; and all men dreaded greatly.

9Soothly Abimelech called also Abraham, and said to him, What hast thou done to us? what sinned we against thee, that thou hast brought in on me and on my realm such a great sin? thou hast done to us which things thou oughtest not to do.

10And again Abimelech asked, and said, What thing sawest thou, that thou wouldest do this?

11Abraham answered, I thought within me, and said, In hap the dread of God is not in this place; and they shall slay me for my wife;

12in other manner forsooth and she is my sister verily, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother; and I wedded her into wife;

13soothly after that God led me out of the house of my father, I said to her, Thou shalt do this mercy with me in each place to which we shall enter; thou shalt say, that I am thy brother.

14Therefore Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and servants, and handmaids, and gave to Abraham; and he yielded to him Sarah, his wife,

15and said, The land is before you; dwell thou, wherever it pleaseth thee.

16Forsooth Abimelech said to Sarah, Lo! I gave a thousand pieces of silver to thy brother; this shall be to thee into a covering of eyes, to all men that be with thee; and whither ever thou goest, have thou mind that thou art taken.

17Soothly for Abraham prayed, God cured Abimelech, and his wife, and handmaids, and they childed;

18for God had closed each womb of the house of Abimelech, for Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

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