Genesis 20 בְּרֵאשִׁית פרק כ׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Genesis 20 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וַיִּסַּעand he journeyedמִשָּׁםfrom thereאַבְרָהָםAbrahamאַרְצָהto the earthהַנֶּגֶבthe southוַיֵּשֶׁבand he dweltבֵּין־קָדֵשׁbetween Kadeshוּבֵיןand betweenשׁוּרShurוַיָּגׇרand he sojournedבִּגְרָר׃in Gerar

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

2. 2

   וַיֹּאמֶרand saidאַבְרָהָםAbrahamאֶל־שָׂרָהto Sarahאִשְׁתּוֹhis wifeאֲחֹתִיmy sisterהִואsheוַיִּשְׁלַחand sentאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechמֶלֶךְthe king ofגְּרָרGerarוַיִּקַּחand tookאֶת־שָׂרָה׃Sarah

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

3. 3

   וַיָּבֹאand cameאֱלֹהִיםGodאֶל־אֲבִימֶלֶךְto Abimelechבַּחֲלוֹםin a dreamהַלָּיְלָהthe nightוַיֹּאמֶרand saidלוֹto himהִנְּךָbehold you areמֵתa dead manעַל־הָאִשָּׁהbecause of the womanאֲשֶׁר־לָקַחְתָּwhich you have takenוְהִואand sheבְּעֻלַתmarried toבָּעַל׃a husband

   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.

4. 4

   וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְand Abimelechלֹאnotקָרַבhad come nearאֵלֶיהָto herוַיֹּאמַרand saidאֲדֹנָיLordהֲגוֹיwill a nationגַּם־צַדִּיקalso righteousתַּהֲרֹג׃you slay

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

5. 5

   הֲלֹאis it notהוּאheאָמַר־לִיsaid to meאֲחֹתִיmy sisterהִואsheוְהִיא־גַם־הִואand she also herselfאָמְרָהsaidאָחִיmy brotherהוּאheבְּתׇם־לְבָבִיin the integrity of my heartוּבְנִקְיֹןand in the innocence ofכַּפַּיmy handsעָשִׂיתִיI madeזֹאת׃this

   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.

6. 6

   וַיֹּאמֶרand saidאֵלָיוto himהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godבַּחֲלֹםin a dreamגַּםalsoאָנֹכִיIיָדַעְתִּיI knowכִּיforבְתׇם־לְבָבְךָin the integrity of your heartעָשִׂיתָyou didזֹּאתthisוָאֶחְשֹׂךְand I have restrainedגַּם־אָנֹכִיalso Iאוֹתְךָyouמֵחֲטוֹ־לִיfrom sinning to meעַל־כֵּןthereforeלֹא־נְתַתִּיךָnot I give youלִנְגֹּעַto touchאֵלֶיהָ׃to her

   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.

7. 7

   וְעַתָּהand nowהָשֵׁבrestoreאֵשֶׁת־הָאִישׁthe wife of the manכִּי־נָבִיאbecause a prophetהוּאhe isוְיִתְפַּלֵּלso he may prayבַּעַדְךָconcerning youוֶחְיֵהand liveוְאִם־אֵינְךָand if you will notמֵשִׁיבreturningדַּעknowכִּי־מוֹתthat surelyתָּמוּתyou shall dieאַתָּהyouוְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ׃and all that is yours

   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.

8. 8

   וַיַּשְׁכֵּםand he rose earlyאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechבַּבֹּקֶרin the morningוַיִּקְרָאand calledלְכׇל־עֲבָדָיוto all his servantsוַיְדַבֵּרand spokeאֶת־כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִיםall the wordsהָאֵלֶּהtheseבְּאׇזְנֵיהֶםin their earsוַיִּירְאוּand fearedהָאֲנָשִׁיםthe menמְאֹד׃exceedingly

   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.

9. 9

   וַיִּקְרָאand calledאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechלְאַבְרָהָםunto Abrahamוַיֹּאמֶרand saidלוֹto himמֶה־עָשִׂיתָwhat you didלָּנוּto usוּמֶה־חָטָאתִיand what have I sinnedלָךְagainst youכִּי־הֵבֵאתָbecause you broughtעָלַיupon meוְעַל־מַמְלַכְתִּיand upon my kingdomחֲטָאָהa sinגְדֹלָהgreatמַעֲשִׂיםdeedsאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־יֵעָשׂוּnot shall be doneעָשִׂיתָyou didעִמָּדִי׃to me

   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. 10

    וַיֹּאמֶרand saidאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechאֶל־אַבְרָהָםunto Abrahamמָהwhatרָאִיתָyou sawכִּיthatעָשִׂיתָyou didאֶת־הַדָּבָרthe thingהַזֶּה׃this

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

11. 11

    וַיֹּאמֶרand saidאַבְרָהָםAbrahamכִּיbecauseאָמַרְתִּיI saidרַקonlyאֵין־יִרְאַתthere is no the fear ofאֱלֹהִיםGodבַּמָּקוֹםthe spaceהַזֶּהthisוַהֲרָגוּנִיand they will kill meעַל־דְּבַרupon the word ofאִשְׁתִּי׃my wife

    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. 12

    וְגַם־אׇמְנָהand also surelyאֲחֹתִיmy sisterבַת־אָבִיthe daughter of my fatherהִואsheאַךְbutלֹאnotבַת־אִמִּיthe daughter of my motherוַתְּהִי־לִיand was to meלְאִשָּׁה׃for wife

    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. 13

    וַיְהִיand it came to passכַּאֲשֶׁרwhenהִתְעוּthey did deceiveאֹתִיmeאֱלֹהִיםGodמִבֵּיתfrom the house ofאָבִיmy fatherוָאֹמַרand I saidלָהּto herזֶהthisחַסְדֵּךְyour kindnessאֲשֶׁרwhichתַּעֲשִׂיyou will doעִמָּדִיto meאֶלtoכׇּל־הַמָּקוֹםall the placeאֲשֶׁרwhichנָבוֹאcomeשָׁמָּהthereאִמְרִי־לִיsay to meאָחִיmy brotherהוּא׃he is

    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. 14

    וַיִּקַּחand tookאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechצֹאןflocksוּבָקָרand herdsוַעֲבָדִיםand male servantsוּשְׁפָחֹתand female servantsוַיִּתֵּןand gaveלְאַבְרָהָםunto Abrahamוַיָּשֶׁבand returnedלוֹto himאֵת־שָׂרָהis Sarahאִשְׁתּוֹ׃his wife

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

15. 15

    וַיֹּאמֶרand saidאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechהִנֵּהbeholdאַרְצִיmy landלְפָנֶיךָbefore youבַּטּוֹבthe goodבְּעֵינֶיךָin your eyesשֵׁב׃dwell

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

16. 16

    וּלְשָׂרָהand to SarahאָמַרsaidהִנֵּהbeholdנָתַתִּיI gaveאֶלֶףthousandכֶּסֶףmoneyלְאָחִיךְto your brotherהִנֵּהbeholdהוּא־לָךְit is for youכְּסוּתa covering ofעֵינַיִםthe eyesלְכֹלfor allאֲשֶׁרwhichאִתָּךְwith youוְאֵתandכֹּלallוְנֹכָחַת׃and you are cleared

    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. 17

    וַיִּתְפַּלֵּלand he prayedאַבְרָהָםAbrahamאֶל־הָאֱלֹהִיםunto Godוַיִּרְפָּאand healedאֱלֹהִיםGodאֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechוְאֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹand his wifeוְאַמְהֹתָיוand his female slavesוַיֵּלֵדוּ׃and they bore children

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

18. 18

    כִּי־עָצֹרbecause surelyעָצַרhad shut upיְהֹוָהthe LORDבְּעַדon behalf ofכׇּל־רֶחֶםall wombלְבֵיתto the house ofאֲבִימֶלֶךְAbimelechעַל־דְּבַרupon the word ofשָׂרָהSarahאֵשֶׁתthe wife ofאַבְרָהָם׃Abraham

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