20
Abraham and Abimelech
1And Abraham journeyed from ⚓there to the South, and dwelt between ⚓Kadesh and Shur, and ⚓stayed in Gerar.
2Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ⚓“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and ⚓took Sarah.
3But ⚓God came to Abimelech ⚓in a dream by night, and said to him, ⚓“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, ⚓will You slay a righteous nation also?
5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ ⚓In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For ⚓I also withheld you from sinning ⚓against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; ⚓for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her,⚓know that you shall surely die, you ⚓and all who are yours.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.
9And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended 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.”
10Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”
11And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely ⚓the fear of God is not in this place; and ⚓they will kill me on account of my wife.
12But indeed ⚓she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13And it came to pass, when ⚓God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, ⚓say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
14Then Abimelech ⚓took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him.
15And Abimelech said, “See, ⚓my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”
16Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; ⚓indeed this vindicates you ⚓before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.
17So Abraham prayed ⚓to God; and God ⚓healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children;
18for the Lord⚓had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.