Genesis Apocryphon

Abraham's sojourn in Canaan and Egypt — the dream of the cedar and the palm, the saving of Sarai by her cunning, and Abraham's blessing of the king of Egypt.

1And I, Abraham, came down with Sarai my wife into the land of Egypt, because of the famine. And as I drew nigh unto the river of Egypt, I dreamed a dream in the night of our entrance into the land. And I saw in my dream a cedar tree and a palm tree growing together. And men came; and they sought to cut down the cedar and to leave the palm by itself. But the palm cried out, saying: Cut not down the cedar, for he and I are of one root.

2And the cedar was spared because of the cry of the palm. And I awoke from my dream, and I told it unto Sarai my wife. And I said: I know in my heart that the men of this land shall seek to slay me, that they may take thee unto them; for thou art exceeding fair. Therefore say thou unto them, when they ask thee, that thou art my sister; that they may not slay me.

3And we came into the land of Egypt. And the princes of Pharaoh saw Sarai; and they praised her exceedingly before Pharaoh. And they took her unto Pharaoh's house. And Pharaoh dealt well with me for her sake — even with sheep and oxen and asses and camels and silver and gold and menservants and maidservants.

4But I, Abraham, prayed unto the Lord with great weeping; and I said: Blessed art Thou, O Most High God, the Lord of all the worlds. For Thou art the Lord and the Master of all things; and Thou rulest over all the kings of the earth, that Thou mayest judge them all. Now I cry unto Thee, O Lord, against Pharaoh, and against all the men of his house, because of Sarai my wife — that they have taken her away from me by force.

5Render unto him judgment, O my Lord, and let Thy great hand be against him, and against all his house. May he not have power this night to defile my wife from me. Let him learn, O Lord, that Thou art the Lord of all the kings of the earth. And I wept; and I was sore distressed.

6And in that night the Lord sent a spirit of plague to afflict Pharaoh and all the men of his house. The plague was very evil; and there was none that could heal it. And after two years the plague continued; and Pharaoh sent for all the wise men of Egypt, and for all the magicians, with all the physicians of Egypt — that they might heal him and his household. But they could not.

7And Pharaoh sent for Lot my brother's son. And Lot said unto him: Thy plague shall not depart from thee, until thou restore Sarai unto Abraham her husband; for she is his wife, and not his sister. And Pharaoh sent for me, and said: What is this thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not say unto me that she was thy wife? Take her, and go thy way.

8And he restored Sarai unto me; and he gave me much silver and gold and apparel. And he asked me to lay my hands upon him, and to pray for him. And I laid my hands upon him; and I prayed for him; and the plague departed from him. And he sent us forth in peace.

9And we came up out of the land of Egypt with great riches; and we returned unto the land of Canaan, even unto the place where mine altar was, between Bethel and Ai. And I called there upon the name of the Lord; for He had delivered me out of the hand of Pharaoh.

10Glory be unto the Most High God, the King of all the worlds. Glory be unto Him that delivered Lamech, and Noah, and Abraham. Glory be unto Him that hath kept the seed of the righteous through every generation. Forever and ever. Amen.