Abraham and Abimelech

1. And Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev,
and dwelt 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, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken;
for she is a man’s wife.”

4. Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said,
“Lord, will You slay also a righteous nation?

5. Did 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 have I done this.”

6. And God said to him in the dream,
“Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this;
and I also withheld you from sinning against Me;
therefore I did not let you touch her.

7. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,
and he shall pray for you, and you shall live.
But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die,
you and all that are yours.”

Abimelech Confronts Abraham

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 greatly afraid.

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 deeds to me that ought not to be done.”

10. And Abimelech said to Abraham,
“What did you see, that you have 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 to her,
‘This is your kindness which you shall show to me:
at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.’”

Abimelech Restores Sarah

14. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants,
and gave them to Abraham,
and restored to him Sarah his wife.

15. And Abimelech said,
“Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”

16. And to Sarah he said,
“Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver;
behold, it is to you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you, and before all men;
thus you are vindicated.”

Abraham Prays for Abimelech

17. So Abraham prayed to God;
and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants,
and they bore children.

18. For Jehovah had completely closed up every womb in the house of Abimelech,
because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.