20:1 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. |
20:2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "I acknowledge her as my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. |
20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you have become a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she already had married." |
20:4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even though it proves blameless? |
20:5 "Did he not himself say to me, 'I acknowledge her as my sister'? And she herself said, 'I acknowledge him as my brother ' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." |
20:6 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 kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. |
20:7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife, for I have designated him a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who belong to you." |
20:8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men felt greatly frightened. |
20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to become done." |
20:10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?" |
20:11 Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there exists no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. |
20:12 "Besides, actually I could consider her my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; |
20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This represents the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, " I consider him my brother."'" |
20:14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, restoring his wife Sarah to him. |
20:15 Abimelech said, "Behold, you see my land before you; settle wherever you please." |
20:16 To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, you may consider yourself vindicated before all who live with you, and before all men you have become cleared." |
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. |
20:18 For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. |