---
title: "Genesis 20 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/genesis/20/
description: "Abraham sojourned in Gerara: Sara is taken into king Abimelech's house, but by… Genesis 20 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Genesis 20

Genesis 20 is chapter 20 of 50 in the Book of Genesis. Here are all 18 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Abraham sojourned in Gerara: Sara is taken into king Abimelech's house, but by God's commandment is restored untouched.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Genesis 20 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.
2. And he said about his wife Sarah: “She is my sister.” Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her.
3. Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: “Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.”
4. In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: “Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just?
5. Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.”
6. And God said to him: “And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her.
7. Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.”
8. And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid.
9. Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: “What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.”
10. And remonstrating him again, he said, “What did you see, so that you would do this?”
11. Abraham responded: “I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife.
12. Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife.
13. Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’”
14. Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.
15. And he said, “The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you.”
16. Then to Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.”
17. Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.
18. For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

## Genesis 20 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Profectus inde Abraham in terram australem, habitavit inter Cades et Sur: et peregrinatus est in Geraris.
2. Dixitque de Sara uxore suo: Soror mea est. Misit ergo Abimelech rex Geraræ, et tulit eam.
3. Venit autem Deus ad Abimelech per somnium nocte, et ait illi: En morieris propter mulierem quam tulisti: habet enim virum.
4. Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam, et ait: Domine, num gentem ignorantem et justam interficies?
5. nonne ipse dixit mihi: Soror mea est: et ipsa ait: Frater meus est? In simplicitate cordis mei, et munditia manuum mearum feci hoc.
6. Dixitque ad eum Deus: Et ego scio quod simplici corde feceris: et ideo custodivi te ne peccares in me, et non dimisi ut tangeres eam.
7. Nunc ergo redde viro suo uxorem, quia propheta est: et orabit pro te, et vives: si autem nolueris reddere, scito quod morte morieris tu, et omnia quæ tua sunt.
8. Statimque de nocte consurgens Abimelech, vocavit omnes servos suos: et locutus est universa verba hæc in auribus eorum, timueruntque omnes viri valde.
9. Vocavit autem Abimelech etiam Abraham, et dixit ei: Quid fecisti nobis? quid peccavimus in te, quia induxisti super me et super regnum meum peccatum grande? quæ non debuisti facere, fecisti nobis.
10. Rursumque expostulans, ait: Quid vidisti, ut hoc faceres?
11. Respondit Abraham: Cogitavi mecum, dicens: Forsitan non est timor Dei in loco isto: et interficient me propter uxorem meam:
12. alias autem et vere soror mea est, filia patris mei, et non filia matris meæ, et duxi eam in uxorem.
13. Postquam autem eduxit me Deus de domo patris mei, dixi ad eam: Hanc misericordiam facies mecum: in omni loco, ad quem ingrediemur, dices quod frater tuus sim.
14. Tulit igitur Abimelech oves et boves, et servos et ancillas, et dedit Abraham: reddiditque illi Saram uxorem suam,
15. et ait: Terra coram vobis est, ubicumque tibi placuerit habita.
16. Saræ autem dixit: Ecce mille argenteos dedi fratri tuo, hoc erit tibi in velamen oculorum ad omnes qui tecum sunt, et quocumque perrexeris: mementoque te deprehensam.
17. Orante autem Abraham, sanavit Deus Abimelech et uxorem, ancillasque ejus, et pepererunt:
18. concluserat enim Dominus omnem vulvam domus Abimelech propter Saram uxorem Abrahæ.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).