Genesis 20

1 And Abraham departed thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned at Gerar.

Abraham traveled towards the Negev, staying between Kadesh and Shur. After that he moved on to live in Gerar.

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

During his time there, when Abraham told people about his wife Sarah, he said, “She's my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her to become one of his wives.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art [but] a dead man, because of the woman that thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “Listen! You're going to die because the woman you've taken is already married—she has a husband.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her. And he said, Lord, wilt thou also kill a righteous nation?

Abimelech hadn't touched Sarah, and he asked, “Lord, do you kill good people?

5 Did he not say to me, She is my sister? and she, even she said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and in the innocency of my hands have I done this.

Didn't Abraham tell me himself, ‘She's my sister,’ and didn't Sarah also say, ‘He's my brother’? I did this in all innocence—my conscience is clear!”

6 And God said to him in a dream, I also knew that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, and I, too, have withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore have I not suffered thee to touch her.

God told him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this in all innocence, so I prevented you from sinning against me. That's why I didn't let you touch her.

7 And now, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and will pray for thee, that thou mayest live. And if thou do not restore [her], know that thou shalt certainly die, thou and all that is thine.

Send the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don't send her back to him, you should know for sure that you and all your family will die.”

8 And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their ears; and the men were greatly afraid.

Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants together. He explained everything that had happened, and they were all terrified.

9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What hast thou done to us? And in what have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me, and on my kingdom, a great sin? Thou hast done to me deeds that ought not to be done.

Then Abimelech summoned Abraham and asked him “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you should treat me like this, bringing this terrible sin on me and my kingdom? You've done things to me that no one should ever do!”

10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, What hast thou seen that thou hast done this?

Then Abimelech asked Abraham “What were you thinking when you did this?”

11 And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my wife's sake.

“Well, I thought to myself, ‘Nobody respects God in this place. They'll kill me just to get my wife,’” Abraham replied.

12 But she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

“Anyway, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not my mother, and I married her.

13 And it came to pass when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, Let this be thy kindness which thou shalt shew to me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

Since my God made me move far away from my family home, I told her, ‘If you really love me, then wherever you go with me you must tell people: He's my brother.’”

14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and bondmen and bondwomen, and gave [them] to Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

Then Abimelech gave Abraham gifts of sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves, and returned his wife Sarah to him.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it is good in thine eyes.

Abimelech told him, “Look over my land. You can choose to live anywhere you like.”

16 And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand [pieces] of silver; behold, let that be to thee a covering of the eyes, in respect of all that are with thee, and with all; and she was reproved.

Abimelech also told Sarah, “Notice that I'm giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This is to compensate you for the wrong done to you in the eyes of everyone with you, and to make sure that your name is publicly cleared.”

17 And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his handmaids, and they bore [children].

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves, so that they could have children again.

18 For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

For the Lord had made all the women unable to have children because Abraham's wife, Sarah, had been taken.