Genesis 20

1 Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.

And Abraam removed thence to the southern country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

2 And he said about his wife Sarah: “She is my sister.” Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her.

And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarrha.

3 Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: “Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.”

And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman, whom thou hast taken, whereas she has lived with a husband.

4 In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: “Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just?

But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?

5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.”

Said he not to me, She is my sister, and said she not to me, He is my brother? with a pure heart and in the righteousness of my hands have I done this.

6 And God said to him: “And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her.

And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.

7 Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.”

But now return the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

8 And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid.

And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and he spoke all these words in their ears, and all the men feared exceedingly.

9 Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: “What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.”

And Abimelech called Abraam and said to him, What is this that thou hast done to us? Have we sinned against thee, that thou hast brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done to me a deed, which no one ought to do.

10 And remonstrating him again, he said, “What did you see, so that you would do this?”

And Abimelech said to Abraam, What hast thou seen in [me] that thou hast done this?

11 Abraham responded: “I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife.

And Abraam said, Why I said, Surely there is not the worship of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife.

12 Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife.

For truly she is my sister by my father, but not by my mother, and she became my wife.

13 Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’”

And it came to pass when God brought me forth out of the house of my father, that I said to her, This righteousness thou shalt perform to me, in every place into which we may enter, say of me, He is my brother.

14 Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.

And Abimelech took a thousand pieces of silver, and sheep, and calves, and servants, and maid-servants, and gave them to Abraam, and he returned him Sarrha his wife.

15 And he said, “The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you.”

And Abimelech said to Abraam, Behold, my land is before thee, dwell wheresoever it may please thee.

16 Then to Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.”

And to Sarrha he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, those shall be to thee for the price of thy countenance, and to all the women with thee, and speak the truth in all things.

17 Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.

And Abraam prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his women servants, and they bore children.

18 For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.

Because the Lord had fast closed from without every womb in the house of Abimelech, because of Sarrha Abraam's wife.