1   Abraham remoued from thence into the south countrie, and dwelt betwene Cades, and Sur: and he liued as a pilgrime in Gerara.

2   And he said of Sara his wife: She is ^note my sister. Abimelech therfore the king of Gerara sent, and tooke her.

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

4   But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord wilt thou kil a nation that is ignorant and iust?

5   Did not he say to me: She is my sister: and she say, He is my brother? in simplicitie of my hart, and cleanenes of my hands haue I done this.

6   And God said to him: And I do know that thou didest it with a sincere hart: and therfore I kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne against me, and I permitted not that thou shouldest touch her.

7   Now therfore restore the wife to her husband, because he is a prophet: and he shal pray for thee, and thou shalt liue: but if thou wilt not restore her, know thou that dying thou shalt dye, thou and al things that are thine.

8   And Abimelech forthwith rising vp in the night, called al his seruantes: and he spake al these words to their eares, and al the men were sore afraid.

9   And Abimelech

Abraham. called also for Abraham, and said to him: What hast thou done to vs? what haue we offended against thee, that thou hast brought vpon me and vpon my kingdom a great sinne? that which thou oughtest not to doe, thou hast done to vs.

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

11   Abraham answered: I thought with my selfe, saying: Perhaps there is not the feare of God in this place: and they wil kil me for my wife:

12   howbeit otherwise also in verie deed she is my sister, ^note the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I tooke her to wife.

13   And after that God brought me out of my fathers house, I said to her: This mercie thou shalt doe with me: In euerie place, which we shal come vnto, thou shalt say that I am thy brother.

14   Therfore Abimelech ^note tooke shepe & oxen, and seruants, and handmayds, and gaue to Abraham: and restored to him Sara his wife,

15   and said: The land is before you, dwel whersoeuer it shal please thee.

16   And to Sara he said: Behold I haue geuen thy brother a thousand peeces of siluer, this shal serue thee for a veile of thine eyes to al that are with thee, and whither soeuer thou shalt goe, remenber also thou wast taken.

17   And Abraham praying, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bare children: for our Lord had closed vp euerie matrice of the house of Abimelech for Sara Abrahams wife.

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