Add parallel Print Page Options

Abrahamu ndi Mfumu Abimeleki

20 Abrahamu anachokako kumeneko napita ku Negevi ndipo anakakhala ku dziko la Gerari, limene lili pakati pa mzinda wa Kadesi ndi mzinda wa Suri. Anakhala ku Gerari kwa kanthawi, ndipo Abrahamu ankawawuza za Sara kuti, “Iyeyu ndi mlongo wanga.” Choncho Abimeleki, mfumu wa ku Gerari anamutenga Sara uja.

Koma usiku, Mulungu anafika kwa Abimeleki kutulo nati, “Ufatu iwe chifukwa cha mkazi amene watengayu popeza ndi wokwatiwa.”

Nthawi imeneyi nʼkuti Abimeleki asanamukhudze mkaziyo, kotero kuti anati, “Ambuye, kodi mudzawonongadi mtundu wolungama? Kodi Abrahamu sanandiwuze kuti iyeyu ndi mlongo wake? Ndiponso mkaziyu ankanena kuti Abrahamu ndi mlongo wake. Choncho ine pochita izi, ndinkachita moona mtima ndiponso mopanda chinyengo.”

Tsono kumaloto komweko Mulungu anati kwa iye, “Inde ndikudziwa kuti wachita izi moona mtima, ndipo Ine sindinafune kuti undichimwire. Nʼchifukwa chake sindinakulole kuti umukhudze. Tsopano kabwezere mkaziyo kwa mwamuna wake. Iyeyu ndi mneneri, ndipo adzakupempherera kuti ukhale ndi moyo. Koma ukapanda kukamupereka, udziwiretu kuti udzafa pamodzi ndi onse a pa banja pako.”

Mmamawa mwake Abimeleki anayitanitsa akuluakulu ake onse, ndipo atawafotokozera zimene zinachitika, iwo aja anachita mantha kwambiri. Kenaka Abimeleki anayitana Abrahamu ndipo anati, “Kodi wachita chiyani? Ndakulakwira chiyani kuti undibweretsere ine pamodzi ndi anthu anga chilango chachikulu chotere? Wandichitira zinthu zimene sizinayenera kuchitika.” 10 Ndipo Abrahamu anafunsa Abimeleki kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani wachita zimenezi?”

11 Abrahamu anayankha nati, “Ndinkaganiza kuti kuno kulibiretu munthu woopa Mulungu. Ndiye ndimati mwina adzandipha chifukwa cha mkazi wanga. 12 Komabe kunena zoona, iyeyu ndi mlongo wangadi, mwana wamkazi wa abambo anga ngakhale kuti si ife a mayi mmodzi. Tsono akhoza kukhala mkazi wanga. 13 Ndiye pamene Mulungu anati ndichoke ku nyumba ya abambo anga, ndinawuza mkazi wangayu kuti, ‘Kuti uwonetse kuti ndiwe mkazi wokoma mtima, uziwuza anthu kulikonse kumene tingapite kuti ndine mlongo wako.’ ”

14 Tsono Abimeleki anapereka nkhosa, ngʼombe ndi antchito aamuna ndi aakazi kwa Abrahamu. Ndipo anamubwezeranso Abrahamu Sara, mkazi wake. 15 Tsono Abimeleki anati kwa Abrahamu, “Dziko langa ndi limene ukulionali; ukhale paliponse pamene ufuna.”

16 Ndipo kwa Sara, iye anati, “Ndikumupatsa mlongo wakoyu makilogalamu khumi ndi awiri a siliva kutsimikiza kuti iwe ndi wosalakwa pamaso pa onse amene ali ndi iwe; ulibedi mlandu.”

17 Tsono Abrahamu anapemphera kwa Mulungu ndipo Mulunguyo anachiritsa Abimeleki, mkazi wake pamodzi ndi adzakazi ake kuti athenso kubereka ana. 18 Paja Yehova nʼkuti atatseka akazi onse a mʼbanja la Abimeleki kuti asabereke ana chifukwa cha Sara, mkazi wa Abrahamu.

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

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.