Kebra Nagast 82

1And we could also inform you that when God had given unto Abraham glory and riches, he lacked a son.

2And Sarah and Abraham talked together on their bed, and he said unto her, "Thou art barren," and she said unto him, "It is not I who am barren but thyself"; and they continued to discuss the matter and to dispute together about it.

3And there came a famine in the land of Canaan, and Abraham heard that there was some food in the land of Egypt, the country of Pharaoh.

4And when he had spent all his possessions in charity to the poor during the days of the famine, without providing for the morrow, the famine waxed strong in the land of Canaan, and he lacked food to eat.

5And he said, "I give thanks unto God that what He hath given unto me I have expended on my servants.

6But as for thee, my sister Sarah, come, let us go into the land of Egypt in order to save ourselves from death by famine."

7And she said unto him, "Thy will be done, O my lord, and if thou die I will die with thee, and if thou live I will live with thee; it is not for me to gainsay thy word for ever.,' And then they rose up and set out on their journey.

8And when they drew nigh [to Egypt] Abraham said unto Sarah, "One thing I must ask of thee, and do thou what I ask of thee"; and Sarah said, "Speak, my lord."

9And he said unto her, "I have heard that the habits of the Egyptians are lawless, and that they live in idolatry and fornication.

10And when they have seen thee they will plot evil against me, and slay me because of the goodliness of thy beautiful form; for there is among them no one that can be compared unto thee.

11And now, in order that thou mayest save my life, do thou say, if they happen to ask thee questions about me, `I am his sister,' so that thou mayest save my soul from death by the hand of the strangers."

12And Sarah said, "Thy will shall be done.

13The word which thou tellest me I will speak, and what thou tellest me to do I will do."

14And they wept and worshipped God, and they came into the great city of the King of Egypt.

15And when the Egyptians saw Abraham and Sarah they marvelled at the beauty of their appearance, for they imagined that they had been brought forth by the same mother.

16And they said unto Abraham, "What is this woman to thee?"

17And Abraham said unto them, "She is my sister."

18And they also asked Sarah "What is this man to thee?"

19And she said unto them, "He is my brother."

20Therefore did the people make a report to Pharaoh that a pair of goodly form had arrived, one a woman and the other a young man, and that there was no one like unto them in all the land.

21And Pharaoh rejoiced, and he sent a message to Abraham, saying, "Give me thy sister that I may betroth her to myself."

22And Abraham pondered in his mind, saying, "If I keep her back he will kill me and take her"; and he said, "Do so, provided that thou dost make me well content."

23And Pharaoh gave him one thousand, silver taflahet, and took Sarah to make her his wife.

24And he brought her into his house, and set her upon his bed and Pharaoh the King of Egypt would have companied with her.

25But the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him by night carrying a sword of fire, and he drew nigh unto him, and he lighted up the whole chamber with his fiery flame, and he wished to slay Pharaoh.

26And Pharaoh fled from one wall of the chamber to the other, and from one corner of the chamber to the other; wheresoever he went the Angel followed him; and there was no place left whereto he could flee and hide himself.

27Then Pharaoh stretched out his hands and said unto the Angel, "O lord, forgive me this my sin."

28And the Angel said unto him, "Why dost thou attack the wife of [another] man?"

29And Pharaoh said unto him, "O lord, slay thou not innocent blood.

30For he said unto me `She is my sister,' and therefore I took her to myself innocently.

31What shall I do to deliver myself from thy hands?"

32And the Angel said unto him, "Give Abraham's wife back to him, and give him a gift, and send him away to his own country."

33And straightway Pharaoh called Abraham, and gave unto him his wife Sarah, together with a handmaiden whose name was `Agar (Hagar), and he gave unto him gold, and silver, and costly apparel, and sent him away in peace.

34And Abraham and his wife returned to their country in peace.

35And Sarah said unto Abraham, "I know that I am barren.

36Go thou in to this my handmaiden whom Pharaoh gave unto me; peradventure God will give thee seed in her.

37As for me, my person is shrunk and withered, and the flower of my body hath dried up."

38And she gave `Agar unto him.

39And Abraham went in to `Agar, and she conceived by him, and she brought forth a son and called his name Ishmael, which is, being interpreted, "God hath heard me."

40And afterwards God gave Abraham seed from his wife Sarah and he begat Isaac.

41And afterwards Sarah became jealous of Ishmael, the son of her handmaiden, because he would reach manhood before her son, and she said, "Peradventure he will slay my son and inherit his father's house."

42And Abraham offered up offerings to God and said, "Lord, what shall I do in respect of Ishmael, my son, my firstborn?

43I wish him to live for me before Thee, but Sarah, my sister, is jealous because Thou hast given me seed in her old age."

44Now Ishmael was fourteen years old before Isaac was born.

45And God said unto Abraham, "What Sarah saith is true; cast out the handmaiden with her son Ishmael.

46Let Ishmael live before Me, and I will make him a great nation, and he shall beget twelve nations and shall reign over them.

47And I will establish My covenant with Isaac My servant, the son of Sarah, and in him I will bless all the nations of the earth, and I will make for him a great kingdom over all the nations of the earth, and in the heavens also I will make him king."