Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech

1And Abraham departed thence towarde the south countrey, & dwelled betweene Cades and Sur, and soiourned in Gerar. 2And Abraham sayde of Sara his wyfe, she is my syster: And Abimelech kyng of Gerar sent, and fet Sara away. 3But God came to Abimelech by night in a dreame, and saide to hym: See, thou art but a dead man for the womans sake whiche thou hast taken away, for she is a mans wyfe. 4But Abimelech had not yet touched her: and he sayde, Lorde wylt thou slay ryghteous people? 5Saide not he vnto me, she is my sister? yea and she her selfe sayde, he is my brother: with a single heart, and innocent handes haue I done this. 6And God sayde vnto him in a dreame: I wote well that thou dyddest it in the singlenesse of thy heart: I kept thee also that thou shuldest not sinne against me, and therefore suffred I thee not to touche her. 7Nowe therefore delyuer the man his wyfe agayne, for he is a prophete, and he shall pray for thee, that thou mayest lyue: But and yf thou delyuer her not agayne, be sure that thou shalt dye the death, both thou and all that thou hast.

8Therefore, Abimelech rysyng vp betimes in the mornyng, called all his seruauntes, and tolde all these sayinges in their eares: and the men were sore afrayde. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham, & sayde vnto hym: What hast thou done vnto vs? & what haue I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me & on my kingdome so great a sinne? thou hast done deedes vnto me that ought not to be done. 10And Abimelech saide vnto Abraham: what sawest thou that thou hast done this thyng? 11Abraha aunswered: For I thought thus surely the feare of God is not in this place, and they shal slaye me for my wyues sake. 12Yet in very deede she is my sister, for she is ye daughter of my father, though she be not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wyfe. 13And after God caused me to wander out of my fathers house, I sayde vnto her: this kyndnesse shalt thou shewe vnto me, in all places where we come, that thou say of me, he is my brother. 14Then toke Abimelech sheepe and oxen, men seruauntes and women seruauntes, & gaue them vnto Abraham, and delyuered hym Sara his wyfe agayne. 15And Abimelech sayde: beholde my lande lyeth before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee best. 16But vnto Sara he saide: See I haue geuen thy brother a thousand peeces of syluer: beholde, it is as a coueryng of thyne eyes vnto all that are with thee, and to all other: and thus she was reproued. 17And so Abraham prayed vnto God, & God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maydens, & they bare chyldren. 18For the Lorde had closed vp all the wombes of the house of Abimelech, because of Abrahams wyfe.