Chapter 20
1
Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negeb and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar.
2
Abraham said to his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3
God came to Abimelech in a night dream and said to him, "See, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, and she has a husband."
4
Abimelech had not approached her, and he said, "Lord, will you also kill a righteous nation?"
5
Did he not say to me, "She is my sister," and she also—he said, "He is my brother"? In the integrity of my heart and the cleanness of my hands I have done this.
6
And he said to him, "God came to me in a dream and said, 'Even I know that you did this with integrity of heart, and I withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her.'"
7
Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will intercede for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will surely die, you and all that is yours.
8
Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their ears, and the men feared greatly.
9
And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against 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."
10
And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?"
11
He said, "Because I said, 'There is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.'"
12
And also—she is my father's sister, in truth, but not my mother's daughter, and she became my wife.
13
And it was when God caused me to wander away from my father's house that he said to her, "This is your steadfast love which you will do with me, at every place where we come there: say of me, 'He is my brother.'"
14
And Abimelech took sheep and cattle and servants and maidservants and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him.
15
Abimelech said, "My land is before you; if it is good in your eyes, dwell."
16
And to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is a covering of the eyes for you, for all who are with you, and for everyone you have wronged."
17
Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves, and they bore children.
18
for the LORD had restrained all the wombs of the house of Abimelech on account of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.