Genesis 20

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

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

³Sotheli 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.

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

⁵Whether 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.

⁶And 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;

⁷now 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹Sotheli 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.

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

¹¹Abraham 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;

¹²in 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;

¹³sotheli 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.

¹⁴Therfore 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;

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

¹⁶Y 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.

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

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

Genesis 20

¹And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

²And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

³But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

⁴But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

⁵Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

⁶And God said unto 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 suffered I 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: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

⁸Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

¹⁰And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

¹¹And 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.

¹²And 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.

¹³And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

¹⁴And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

¹⁵And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

¹⁶And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

¹⁷So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

¹⁸For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.