亚伯拉罕与亚比米勒

20 亚伯拉罕从幔利迁往南地,住在加低斯和书珥之间。在基拉耳寄居期间, 他称妻子撒拉是自己的妹妹。基拉耳王亚比米勒派人带走了撒拉。

晚上,上帝在梦中对亚比米勒说:“你的死期到了,因为你带来的那个女人是别人的妻子。” 亚比米勒还没有亲近撒拉,因此他说:“主啊,难道你要毁灭一个无辜的国家吗? 那人亲口对我说这女人是他妹妹,她也说那人是她哥哥。我问心无愧,没有做错。” 上帝在梦中对他说:“我知道你问心无愧,所以我才阻止你,不让你亲近她,免得你得罪我。 现在你要把那人的妻子还给他,他是个先知,他会为你祷告,使你活命。要知道,如果你不这样做,你和你的人民都必死。”

亚比米勒清早起来召来他的臣仆,把这件事情告诉他们,他们听了都十分害怕。 亚比米勒召见亚伯拉罕,对他说:“你为什么要害我们?我什么地方得罪了你?你竟使我和我的人民陷入大罪!你不该这样做。” 10 又说:“你为什么这样做?” 11 亚伯拉罕回答说:“因为我想这里的人不敬畏上帝,他们必为了夺我妻子而杀我。 12 况且,她真是我的妹妹,与我同父异母,后来做了我的妻子。 13 上帝吩咐我离开家乡到外面漂泊的时候,我对她说,‘无论我们到哪里,你都要说我是你哥哥,这就是你对我的恩情。’”

14 于是,亚比米勒带来牛、羊和男女仆婢送给亚伯拉罕,并把他妻子撒拉还给他, 15 又对他说:“我的国土就在你面前,你想住在哪里都可以。” 16 亚比米勒对撒拉说:“我给你哥哥十一公斤银子,在你家人面前证明你是清白的,你没有做错什么。”

17 亚伯拉罕祈求上帝,上帝就治好了亚比米勒,也使他妻子和众婢女恢复了生育能力。 18 原来耶和华因为亚伯拉罕的妻子撒拉这件事,使亚比米勒宫中所有的妇女都不能生育。

亞伯拉罕與亞比米勒

20 亞伯拉罕從幔利遷往南地,住在加低斯和書珥之間。在基拉耳寄居期間, 他稱妻子撒拉是自己的妹妹。基拉耳王亞比米勒派人帶走了撒拉。

晚上,上帝在夢中對亞比米勒說:「你的死期到了,因為你帶來的那個女人是別人的妻子。」 亞比米勒還沒有親近撒拉,因此他說:「主啊,難道你要毀滅一個無辜的國家嗎? 那人親口對我說這女人是他妹妹,她也說那人是她哥哥。我問心無愧,沒有做錯。」 上帝在夢中對他說:「我知道你問心無愧,所以我才阻止你,不讓你親近她,免得你得罪我。 現在你要把那人的妻子還給他,他是個先知,他會為你禱告,使你活命。要知道,如果你不這樣做,你和你的人民都必死。」

亞比米勒清早起來召來他的臣僕,把這件事情告訴他們,他們聽了都十分害怕。 亞比米勒召見亞伯拉罕,對他說:「你為什麼要害我們?我什麼地方得罪了你?你竟使我和我的人民陷入大罪!你不該這樣做。」 10 又說:「你為什麼這樣做?」 11 亞伯拉罕回答說:「因為我想這裡的人不敬畏上帝,他們必為了奪我妻子而殺我。 12 況且,她真是我的妹妹,與我同父異母,後來做了我的妻子。 13 上帝吩咐我離開家鄉到外面漂泊的時候,我對她說,『無論我們到哪裡,你都要說我是你哥哥,這就是你對我的恩情。』」

14 於是,亞比米勒帶來牛、羊和男女僕婢送給亞伯拉罕,並把他妻子撒拉還給他, 15 又對他說:「我的國土就在你面前,你想住在哪裡都可以。」 16 亞比米勒對撒拉說:「我給你哥哥十一公斤銀子,在你家人面前證明你是清白的,你沒有做錯什麼。」

17 亞伯拉罕祈求上帝,上帝就治好了亞比米勒,也使他妻子和眾婢女恢復了生育能力。 18 原來耶和華因為亞伯拉罕的妻子撒拉這件事,使亞比米勒宮中所有的婦女都不能生育。

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

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

But 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.

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

Said 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.

And 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.

Now 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.

Therefore 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.

Then 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.

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

11 And 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.

12 And 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.

13 And 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.

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

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

16 And 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.

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

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

Abraham and Abimelek(A)

20 Now Abraham moved on from there(B) into the region of the Negev(C) and lived between Kadesh(D) and Shur.(E) For a while(F) he stayed in Gerar,(G) and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.(H)” Then Abimelek(I) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.(J)

But God came to Abimelek(K) in a dream(L) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead(M) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”(N)

Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?(O) Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,(P)’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience(Q) and clean hands.(R)

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept(S) you from sinning against me.(T) That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,(U) and he will pray for you(V) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”(W)

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.(X) 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God(Y) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’(Z) 12 Besides, she really is my sister,(AA) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander(AB) from my father’s household,(AC) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

14 Then Abimelek(AD) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham,(AE) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”(AF)

16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels[a] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

17 Then Abraham prayed to God,(AG) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 20:16 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms