1 And at that time Aḇraham journeyed from the plain of Mamrĕ, and he went to the land of the Pelishtites, and he dwelt in Gerar. It was in the twenty-fifth year of Aḇraham’s being in the land of Kena’an, and the hundredth year of the life of Aḇraham, that he came to Gerar in the land of the Pelishtites.
2 And when they entered the land he said to Sarah his wife, “Say you are my sister, to anyone that shall ask you, in order that we may escape the evil of the inhabitants of the land.”
3 And as Aḇraham was dwelling in the land of the Pelishtites, the servants of Aḇimeleḵ, sovereign of the Pelishtites, saw that Sarah was exceedingly good-looking, and they asked Aḇraham concerning her, and he said, “She is my sister.”
4 And the servants of Aḇimeleḵ went to Aḇimeleḵ, saying, “A man from the land of Kena’an is come to dwell in the land, and he has a sister that is exceedingly lovely.”
5 And Aḇimeleḵ heard the words of his servants who praised Sarah to him, and Aḇimeleḵ sent his officers, and they brought Sarah to the sovereign.
6 And Sarah came to the house of Aḇimeleḵ, and the sovereign saw that Sarah was good-looking, and she pleased him exceedingly.
7 And he approached her and said to her, “What is that man to you with whom you came into our land?” and Sarah answered and said, “He is my brother, and we came from the land of Kena’an to dwell wherever we could find a place.”
8 And Aḇimeleḵ said to Sarah, “See, my land is before you, place your brother in any part of this land that pleases you, and it will be our duty to exalt and elevate him above all the people of the land since he is your brother.”
9 And Aḇimeleḵ sent for Aḇraham, and Aḇraham came to Aḇimeleḵ.
10 And Aḇimeleḵ said to Aḇraham, “See, I have given orders that you shall be honoured as you desire because of your sister Sarah.”
11 And Aḇraham went out from the sovereign, and the sovereign’s present came after him.
12 As at evening time, before men lie down to rest, the sovereign was sitting on his throne, and a deep sleep fell upon him, and he lay on the throne and slept till morning.
13 And he dreamed that a messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to him with a drawn sword in his hand, and the messenger stood over Aḇimeleḵ, and sought to slay him with the sword. And the sovereign was afraid in his dream, and said to the messenger, “In what have I sinned against you that you come to slay me with your sword?”
14 And the messenger answered and said to Aḇimeleḵ, “See, you die because of the woman which you brought into your house last night, for she is a married woman, the wife of Aḇraham who came to your house. Now therefore return that man his wife, for she is his wife. And if you do not return her, know that you will indeed die, you and all belonging to you.”
15 And on that night there was a great outcry in the land of the Pelishtites, and the inhabitants of the land saw the figure of a man standing with a drawn sword in his hand, and he smote the inhabitants of the land with the sword, continuing to smite them.
16 And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 smote the whole land of the Pelishtites on that night, and there was a great confusion on that night and on the following morning.
17 And every womb was closed, and all their issues, and the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was upon them because of Sarah, wife of Aḇraham, whom Aḇimeleḵ had taken.
18 And in the morning Aḇimeleḵ rose with fear and confusion and with a great dread, and he sent and had his servants called in, and related his dream to them, and the people were greatly afraid.
19 And one man standing among the servants of the sovereign answered the sovereign, saying, “O royal sovereign, restore this woman to her husband, for he is her husband, for the same befell the sovereign of Mitsrayim when this man came to Mitsrayim.
20 “And he said concerning his wife, ‘She is my sister,’ for such is his manner of doing when he comes to dwell in the land in which he is a stranger.
21 “And Pharaoh sent and took this woman for a wife, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 brought upon him grievous plagues until he returned the woman to her husband.
22 “Now therefore, O royal sovereign, know what came to pass last night to the whole land, for there was a very great fear and great pain and lamentation, and we know that it was because of the woman which you took.
23 “Now, therefore, restore this woman to her husband, lest it should befall us as it did to Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim and his subjects, and that we may not die.” And Aḇimeleḵ hastened and called and had Sarah called for. And she came before him, and he had Aḇraham called for, and he came before him.
24 And Aḇimeleḵ said to them, “What is this matter you have been doing in saying you are brother and sister, and I took this woman for a wife?”
25 And Aḇraham said, “Because I thought I would suffer death because of my wife.” And Aḇimeleḵ took flocks and herds, and male servants and female servants, and a thousand pieces of silver, and he gave them to Aḇraham, and he returned Sarah to him.
26 And Aḇimeleḵ said to Aḇraham, “See, the whole land is before you, dwell in it wherever you shall choose.”
27 And Aḇraham and Sarah, his wife, went out from the sovereign’s presence with honour and respect, and they dwelt in the land, even in Gerar.
28 And all the inhabitants of the land of the Pelishtites and the sovereign’s servants were still in pain, through the plague which the messenger had inflicted upon them the whole night because of Sarah.
29 And Aḇimeleḵ sent for Aḇraham, saying, “Pray now for your servants to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, that He may put away this death from among us.”
30 And Aḇraham prayed for the sake of Aḇimeleḵ and his subjects, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 heard the prayer of Aḇraham, and He healed Aḇimeleḵ and all his subjects.