20 Abraham travelled south to the Negev desert. He lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a time he stayed in Gerar. 2 While he was there, Abraham told people that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. Because of this, the king of Gerar took Sarah so that she would become his wife. The king's name was Abimelech.
3 But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream. He said to Abimelech, ‘Now you will die! The woman that you have taken to be your wife is already a married woman.’
4 But Abimelech had not yet touched Sarah. He said to God, ‘Lord, I have not done anything wrong. Surely you will not destroy me and my people. 5 Abraham told me that Sarah was his sister. And she herself said, “I am his sister.” So I am not guilty! I did not think that I was doing a bad thing.’
6 God spoke to Abimelech again in a dream. He said, ‘That is true. You did not think that you were doing something wrong. I know that. So I did not let you touch her. I stopped you from doing anything wrong against me. 7 You must now give her back to her husband. He is a prophet and he will pray for you. Because of that, you will not die. But if you do not give her back, you and all your people will surely die.’
8 Early the next morning, Abimelech called together his officers. He told them what had happened. When the officers heard about it, they were very afraid. 9 Abimelech called Abraham to come to him. He said to Abraham, ‘Why have you done this bad thing against us? I have not done anything wrong against you. Now you have made me and the people in my kingdom guilty of a very bad thing. Nobody should ever do the things that you have done to me.’ 10 Abimelech asked Abraham, ‘What caused you to do this?’
11 Abraham replied, ‘I did it because I was afraid. I thought, “The people here do not respect God. They will kill me so that they can take my wife from me.” [ a ] 12 And also, she really is my sister. She is the daughter of my father. But she is not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. 13 God told me to leave my father's house and to travel. At that time I said to Sarah, “This is how you can show that you love me. Everywhere we go, tell people that I am your brother.” ’
14 Then Abimelech brought sheep and cows to give to Abraham. He also gave to Abraham male and female servants. And he gave Sarah back to Abraham. 15 Abimelech said, ‘Look! See my land all round you. Go and live anywhere that you want to live.’
16 Abimelech said to Sarah, ‘I have given 1,000 pieces of silver to your brother. [ b ] This is to show everyone that you yourself did nothing wrong. It will pay you for any trouble that you have received.’
17 Then Abraham prayed to God. As a result, God made Abimelech become well again. He also made Abimelech's wife and his female slaves become well, so that they could have children again. 18 The Lord had made them unable to have children. He did this because of what happened to Abraham's wife, Sarah.
20 Abraham left that place and traveled to the Negev. He settled in the city of Gerar, between Kadesh and Shur. While in Gerar, 2 Abraham told people that Sarah was his sister. King Abimelech of Gerar heard this. Abimelech wanted Sarah, so he sent some servants to take her. 3 But one night God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You will die. The woman you took is married.”
4 But Abimelech had not yet slept with Sarah, so he said, “Lord, I am not guilty. Would you kill an innocent man? 5 Abraham himself told me, ‘This woman is my sister,’ and she also said, ‘This man is my brother.’ I am innocent. I did not know what I was doing.”
6 Then God said to Abimelech in a dream, “Yes, I know that you are innocent and that you did not know what you were doing. I saved you. I did not allow you to sin against me. I was the one who did not allow you to sleep with her. 7 So give Abraham his wife again. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don’t give Sarah back to him, I promise that you will die. And all your family will die with you.”
8 So very early the next morning, Abimelech called all his servants and told them about the dream. The servants were very afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “Why have you done this to us? What wrong did I do to you? Why did you lie and say that she was your sister? You brought great trouble to my kingdom. You should not have done this to me. 10 What were you afraid of? Why did you do this to me?”
11 Then Abraham said, “I thought no one in this place respected God. I thought someone would kill me to get Sarah. 12 She is my wife, but she is also my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother. 13 God led me away from my father’s house. He led me to wander to many different places. When that happened, I told Sarah, ‘Do something for me. Wherever we go, tell people you are my sister.’”
14 So Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham. Abimelech also gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves. 15 And Abimelech said, “Look all around you. This is my land. You may live any place you want.”
16 Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham 1000 pieces of silver. I did this to show that I am very sorry. I want everyone to see that I did the right thing.”
17-18 The Lord made all the women in Abimelech’s family not able to have children. God did this because Abimelech had taken Sarah, Abraham’s wife. But Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls.
20 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord , wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
20 Now Abraham journeyed from ( A ) there toward the land of ( B ) the [ a ] Negev, and [ b ] settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he lived for a time in ( C ) Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “ ( D ) She is my sister.” So ( E ) Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah. 3 ( F ) But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, ( G ) you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [ c ] married.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, ( H ) will You kill a nation, even though [ d ] blameless? 5 Did he himself not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she ( I ) herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In ( J ) the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my [ e ] hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also [ f ] ( K ) kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for ( L ) he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her , know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8 So Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their [ g ] presence; and the people were greatly frightened. 9 ( M ) Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And [ h ] how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom ( N ) a great sin? You have done to me [ i ] things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you [ j ] encountered, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no ( O ) fear of God in this place, and ( P ) they will kill me because of my wife. 12 Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife; 13 and it came about, when ( Q ) God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is [ k ] the kindness which you will show to me: [ l ] everywhere we go, ( R ) say of me, “He is my brother.”’” 14 ( S ) Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “ ( T ) Behold, my land is before you; [ m ] settle wherever [ n ] you please.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your ( U ) brother a thousand pieces of silver. [ o ] It is [ p ] your vindication before all who are with you, and before everyone you are cleared.” 17 Then ( V ) Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, so that they gave birth to children . 18 ( W ) For the Lord had completely closed all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
20 Now Abraham moved on from there ( B ) into the region of the Negev ( C ) and lived between Kadesh ( D ) and Shur. ( E ) For a while ( F ) he stayed in Gerar, ( G ) 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister. ( H ) ” Then Abimelek ( I ) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. ( J )
3 But God came to Abimelek ( K ) in a dream ( L ) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ( M ) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” ( N )
4 Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? ( O ) 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister, ( P ) ’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience ( Q ) and clean hands. ( R ) ”
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept ( S ) you from sinning against me. ( T ) That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, ( U ) and he will pray for you ( V ) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.” ( W )
8 Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done. ( X ) ” 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”
11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God ( Y ) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ ( Z ) 12 Besides, she really is my sister, ( AA ) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander ( AB ) from my father’s household, ( AC ) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Then Abimelek ( AD ) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, ( AE ) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.” ( AF )
16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels [ a ] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, ( AG ) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah. ( AH )
