Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

Profectus inde Abraham in terram australem, habitavit inter Cades et Sur: et peregrinatus est in Geraris.

There was a time when Abraham made his way from there into the southern country, first settling down between Cades and Sur, then living as a wanderer in Gerara.

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

Dixitque de Sara uxore suo: Soror mea est. Misit ergo Abimelech rex Geraræ, et tulit eam.

And of his wife Sara he gave out, She is my sister; whereupon Abimelech, king of Gerara, sent and took her for himself.

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.

Venit autem Deus ad Abimelech per somnium nocte, et ait illi: En morieris propter mulierem quam tulisti: habet enim virum.

But God visited Abimelech in a dream by night, and told him, Thy life is forfeit, on account of this woman thou hast taken for thyself; she is wedded to a husband.

Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, that is ignorant and just?

Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam, et ait: Domine, num gentem ignorantem et justam interficies?

Abimelech, as yet, had had no intercourse with her. What, Lord, he said, must a nation perish that has done no wrong, except through ignorance?

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.

nonne ipse dixit mihi: Soror mea est: et ipsa ait: Frater meus est? In simplicitate cordis mei, et munditia manuum mearum feci hoc.

Did he not tell me himself, She is my sister? And she, did not she herself claim him as her brother? My conscience has been clear, my actions honourable, in all I have done.

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.

Dixitque ad eum Deus: Et ego scio quod simplici corde feceris: et ideo custodivi te ne peccares in me, et non dimisi ut tangeres eam.

And God said to him, I know that thou hast acted with a clear conscience; that is why I preserved thee from sinning against me, and would not let thee have intercourse with her.

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.

Nunc ergo redde viro suo uxorem, quia propheta est: et orabit pro te, et vives: si autem nolueris reddere, scito quod morte morieris tu, et omnia quæ tua sunt.

But now thou must give her back to her husband; he is a prophet, and will intercede for thy life; if thou dost not restore her, I give thee good warning, thou and thine must perish.

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.

Statimque de nocte consurgens Abimelech, vocavit omnes servos suos: et locutus est universa verba hæc in auribus eorum, timueruntque omnes viri valde.

So Abimelech rose up at once before dawn of day, and summoned the whole company of his servants to let them hear all this; whereupon they were all overcome with terror.

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.

Vocavit autem Abimelech etiam Abraham, et dixit ei: Quid fecisti nobis? quid peccavimus in te, quia induxisti super me et super regnum meum peccatum grande? quæ non debuisti facere, fecisti nobis.

Then Abimelech sent for Abraham too, and asked him, What is this trick thou hast played on us? What wrong have we done thee, that thou shouldst involve me and my kingdom in such guilt? Thou hast treated us amiss.

And again he expostulated with him, and said, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this?

Rursumque expostulans, ait: Quid vidisti, ut hoc faceres?

And still he plied him with reproaches; What was in thy mind, that thou shouldst act thus?

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:

Respondit Abraham: Cogitavi mecum, dicens: Forsitan non est timor Dei in loco isto: et interficient me propter uxorem meam:

I thought to myself, answered Abraham, This may be a place where they have no fear of God, and then they will kill me on my wife’s account.

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.

alias autem et vere soror mea est, filia patris mei, et non filia matris meæ, et duxi eam in uxorem.

Besides, she is indeed my sister, on the father’s side but not on the mother’s, though she is none the less my wedded wife.

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.

Postquam autem eduxit me Deus de domo patris mei, dixi ad eam: Hanc misericordiam facies mecum: in omni loco, ad quem ingrediemur, dices quod frater tuus sim.

When God bade me leave my father’s house and go on my travels, I said to her, Do me this kindness; give it out, wherever we go, that I am thy brother.

And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara, his wife.

Tulit igitur Abimelech oves et boves, et servos et ancillas, et dedit Abraham: reddiditque illi Saram uxorem suam,

So Abimelech made Abraham a present, of sheep and oxen, of men and maid servants, and gave his wife Sara back to him.

And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please thee.

et ait: Terra coram vobis est, ubicumque tibi placuerit habita.

Here is my land, he said, at your disposal, dwell where thou wilt.

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.

Saræ autem dixit: Ecce mille argenteos dedi fratri tuo, hoc erit tibi in velamen oculorum ad omnes qui tecum sunt, et quocumque perrexeris: mementoque te deprehensam.

And to Sara he added, See, I am giving this brother of thine a thousand silver pieces; such amends will enable thee to look the world in the face, wherever thou goest; only, do not forget that thy pretence was discovered.

And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children:

Orante autem Abraham, sanavit Deus Abimelech et uxorem, ancillasque ejus, et pepererunt:

And now, at Abraham’s intercession, God restored health to Abimelech, to his wife and to his servant women;

For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech on account of Sara, Abraham’s wife.

concluserat enim Dominus omnem vulvam domus Abimelech propter Saram uxorem Abrahæ.

up to now, on account of Abraham’s wife Sara, the Lord had made all Abimelech’s household barren.