¹Zvino Abhurahamu wakabvapo akananga kunyika yekuchamhembe, ­ndokugara pakati peKadheshi neShuri, akava mutorwa muGerari.

¹Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.

²Abhurahamu ndokuti maererano naSara mukadzi wake: Ihanzvadzi yangu. Zvino Abhimereki ma­mbo weGerari akatuma, ndokutora Sara.

²Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

³Asi Mwari wakauya kuna Abhimereki muchiroto usiku, ndokuti kwaari: Tarira, wakafa nekuda kwemukadzi wa­watora; nekuti wakawanikwa kumurume.

³But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. For she is a man’s wife.”

⁴Asi Abhimereki wakange asina kuswedera kwaari. Naizvozvo wakati: Ishe, muchaurayawo rudzi rwakarurama here?

⁴Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?

⁵Haana here kuti kwandiri: Iha­nzvadzi yangu? Naiye amene haana here kuti: Ihanzvadzi yangu, here? Ndakaita izvozvo pakururama kwemoyo wangu, nepakuchena kwemaoko angu.

⁵Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister?’ She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this.”

⁶Mwari ndokuti kwaari muchiroto: Hongu, ndinoziva kuti wa­kaita ichi pakururama kwemoyo wako; neniwo ndikakudzivisa kuti urege kundita­dzira; naizvozvo handina kukutendera kumubata.

⁶God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her.

⁷Naizvozvo zvino dzosera mukadzi wemurume, nekuti muporofita; zvino uchakunyengeterera ugorarama; asi kana ukasamudzosera, ziva kuti uchafa zviro­kwazvo, iwe nevose vako.

⁷Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”

⁸Abhimereki ndokumuka mangwanani-ngwanani, ndokudana varanda vake vose, akataura mashoko awa ose munzeve dzavo; varume ndokutya zvikuru.

⁸Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.

⁹Abhimereki ndokudana Abhurahamu ndokuti kwaari: Chii chawaita kwatiri? Uye chii chandakutadzira, kuti uuise pamusoro pangu nepamusoro peu­she hwangu chivi chikuru? Waita kwandiri chisingafaniri kuitwa.

⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!”

¹⁰Abhimereki ndokuti kuna Abhurahamu: Wanga uchiti kudii, zvawaita chinhu ichi?

¹⁰Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”

¹¹Abhurahamu ndokuti: Nekuti nda­kafunga kuti: Zvirokwazvo kutya Mwari hakumo mu­nzvimbo ino; uye vachandiuraya nekuda kwemukadzi wangu.

¹¹Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’

¹²Uyezve, zvirokwazvo ihanzvadzi yangu, mukunda wababa vangu, asi haazi mukunda wamai vangu; akazova mukadzi wangu.

¹²Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

¹³Zvino zvakaitika Mwari paakandidzungaidza kubva paimba ya­baba vangu, kuti ndakati kwaari: Hewu moyo wakanaka wau­nofanira kundiitira, panzvimbo dzose patichasvika, uti pamusoro pangu: Ihanzvadzi yangu.

¹³It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴Abhimereki ndokutora makwai ne­mombe nevaranda nevarandakadzi, ndokupa kuna Abhurahamu, ndokumudzosera Sara mukadzi wake.

¹⁴Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.

¹⁵Zvino Abhime­reki wakati: Tarira, nyika yangu iri pa­mberi pako; gara pakanakira meso ako.

¹⁵Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.”

¹⁶Nekuna Sara wakati: Tarira, ndapa hanzvadzi yako makobiri esirivha ane chiuru che­zana; tarira, chifukidziro chemeso ako kune vose vanewe; nevose, saizvozvo wakadzorwa.

¹⁶To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”

¹⁷Zvino Abhurahamu wakanyengetera kuna Mwari; Mwari ndokuporesa Abhimereki ne­mukadzi wake nevarandakadzi vake kuti vabereke.

¹⁷Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.

¹⁸Nekuti Jehovha wakange avhara zvizvaro zvose zveveimba yaAbhi­mereki nekuda kwaSara mukadzi waAbhurahamu.

¹⁸For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.