he is the [1] father of the Moabites euen to this present day. 38The yonger also bare a sonne, and she called his name Ammon, that is the sonne of my people: he is the father of the Ammonites euen to this day.
CHAP. XX.
ABRAHAM remoued from thence into the south countrie, and dwelt between Cades, and Sur: and he liued as a pilgrime in Gerara. 2And he said of Sara his wife: She is [2] my sister. Abimelech therfore the king of Gerara, sent and tooke her. 3And 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. 4But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord wilt thou kil a Nation that is ignorant & iust? 5Did 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. 6And God said to him: And I doe 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. 7Now 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. 8And Abimelech forthwith rising vp in the night, called al his seruants: and he spake al these words to their eares, and al the men were sore afraid. 9And Abimelech called also for Abraham, & said to him: What hast thou done to vs? what haue we offended against thee, that thou hast brought vpon me and vpon my Kingdome a great sinne? that which thou oughtest not to doe, thou hast done to vs. 10And againe expostulating, he said: What sawest thou, that thou didest this? 11Abraham answered: I thought with my selfe, saying: Perhaps there is not the feare of God in this place: & they wil kil me for my wife: 12howbeit otherwise also in verie deed she is my sister, [3] the daughter of my father, & not the daughter of my mother, & I tooke her to wife. 13And 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. 14Therfore Abimelech [4] tooke sheep and oxen, and seruants, and handmayds, and gaue to Abraham: and restored to him Sara his wife, 15and said: The land is before you, dwel whersoeuer it shal please thee. 16And to Sara he said: Behold I haue giuen thy brother a thousand pieces of siluer, this shal
- ↑ Moabites & Ammonites were two distinct Nations, perhaps of the 72. See p. 41.
- ↑ See pag. 50.
- ↑ Not his fathers owne daughter, but of his progenie. S. Aug. l. 22. cont . Faust. c. 35 & l. 16. c. 19. & 30. de ciuit.
- ↑ Kings of the earth esteeming the Church only for a laudable people of God, seeke to subiect her to themselues: but knowing he to be the inuiolable spouse of Christ, subiect themselues to her, & offer to her most honourable guifts. S. Aug. l. 22. cont. Faust. c. 38.
