| 1 | Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the
[a]South country (the Negeb) and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he lived temporarily in Gerar. |
| 2 | And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah [into his harem]. |
| 3 | But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said, Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken [as your own], for she is a man’s wife. |
| 4 | But Abimelech had not come near her, so he said, Lord, will you slay a people who are just
and
innocent? |
| 5 | Did not the man tell me, She is my sister? And she herself said, He is my brother. In integrity of heart and innocency of hands I have done this. |
| 6 | Then God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know you did this in the integrity of your heart, for it was I Who kept you back
and
spared you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not give you occasion to touch her. |
| 7 | So now restore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her [to him], know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours. |
| 8 | So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things; and the men were exceedingly filled with reverence
and
fear. |
| 9 | Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us? And how have I offended you that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me what ought not to be done [to anyone]. |
| 10 | And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see [in us] that [justified] you in doing such a thing as this? |
| 11 | And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely there is no reverence
or
fear of God at all in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife. |
| 12 | But truly, she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father but not of my mother; and she became my wife. |
| 13 | When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, This kindness you can show me: at every place we stop, say of me, He is my brother. |
| 14 | Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and restored to him Sarah his wife. |
| 15 | And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you; dwell wherever it pleases you. |
| 16 | And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given this brother of yours a thousand pieces of silver; see, it is to compensate you [for all that has occurred] and to vindicate your honor before all who are with you; before all men you are cleared
and
compensated. |
| 17 | So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, |
| 18 | For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. |
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