Genesis 20

¹Abraham removed from thence into the south country and dwelt between Cades, and Sur: and he lived as a pilgrim in Gerara.

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

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

⁴But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord wilt thou kill a Nation that is ignorant & just?

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

⁶And God said to him: And I do know that thou didst it with a sincere heart: and therefore I kept thee that thou shouldest not sin against me, and I permitted not that thou shouldest touch her.

⁷Now therefore restore the wife to her husband, because he is a Prophet: and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. But if thou wilt not restore her, know thou that dying thou shalt die, thou and all things that are thine.

⁸And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his servants: and he spake all these words to their ears, and all the men were sore afraid.

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

¹⁰And again expostulating, he said: What sawest thou, that thou didest this?

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

¹²howbeit otherwise also in very deed she is my sister, the daughter of my father, & not the daughter of my mother, & I took her to wife.

¹³And after that God brought me out of my father's house, I said to her: This mercy thou shalt do with me: In every place which we shall come unto, thou shalt say that I am thy brother.

¹⁴Therefore 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 shalt please thee.

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

¹⁷And Abraham praying, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bare children:

¹⁸for our Lord had closed up every matrice of the house of Abimelech for Sara Abraham's wife.