Then the keeper of the people broke forth from sleep, bade his councillors come to him; shaken with terror, Abimeleh quickly told the nobles the word of the Master.  The men dreaded [as retribution] for this deed, blows 2670 from the hand of the Lord in accordance with the dream.  The king himself bade them bring Abraham before him, in great haste.  Then the ruler of the kingdom spoke: 

“Man of the Ebrews! this wilt thou now tell me in 2675 words:  what have I done that, since thou broughtest thy possessions into this country among us, Abraham, thou hast thus bitterly contrived a plot against me?  Thou, a foreigner, wouldst deceive us in this country 2680 with evil and pollute us with sin:  thou saidest in plain words that Sarra was thy sister, thy blood relation; through that woman thou wouldst have foully put upon me sin, measureless evil!  We received thee honorably, 2685 and in friendship gave thee a dwelling-place among this people, land at thy pleasure:  now thou makest return and thankest us [most] ungratefully for our favors!”

XXXIII.

Abraham then answered:  2690

“I did that, not for evil nor for hostility nor for any woe that I might bring upon thee.  But by this strat-agem, O ruler of men, I protected myself against blows of the fierce sword, far from my kinsfolk [as I was] Since the Holy One[37] first led me from the family of 2695 the prince, my father, I have sought out many peoples, strange allies, and this woman with me, destitute of friends:  I always kept this peril in mind, when some foe 2700 should deprive me—­a stranger—­of my life, who wished to have this woman for his own.  Therefore I have told warriors in plain words that Sarra was my sister, wher- 2705 ever on this earth we have had to contend against foreigners in our exile.  I did the same thing in this country, great king, after I chose thy protection:  nor was there any knowledge in my heart as to whether 2710 the fear of God Almighty was in this race, when I first came here; therefore I concealed from thy ministers and from thyself as well as possible the true statement that Sarra was wont to enter my bed with me as my wife.” 2715

Then Abimaeleh began to enrich Abraham with worldly treasures and returned his wife to him:  he gave him to boot, when he received his wife, live stock and bright silver and serving-folk.  The protector of the nobles 2720 spoke further to Abraham, in these words: 

“Dwell with us and choose thee a dwelling-place in this land, a noble site where it is most to thy liking:  I must have thee; be a faithful friend to us; we will give 2725 thee riches.”

Then quickly the dispenser of treasure spoke further to Sarra, in other words: