Genesis 20

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

And Abraham went on his way from there to the land of the South, and was living between Kadesh and Shur, in Gerar.

2 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.

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

3 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.”

But God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night, and said to him, Truly you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife.

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

Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, Lord, will you put to death an upright nation?

5 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!”

Did he not say to me himself, She is my sister? and she herself said, He is my brother: with an upright heart and clean hands have I done this.

6 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.

And God said to him in the dream, I see that you have done this with an upright heart, and I have kept you from sinning against me: for this reason I did not let you come near her.

7 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.”

So now, give the man back his wife, for he is a prophet, and let him say a prayer for you, so your life may be safe: but if you do not give her back, be certain that death will come to you and all your house.

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

So Abimelech got up early in the morning and sent for all his servants and gave them word of these things, and they were full of fear.

9 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!”

Then Abimelech sent for Abraham, and said, What have you done to us? what wrong have I done you that you have put on me and on my kingdom so great a sin? You have done to me things which are not to be done.

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

And Abimelech said to Abraham, Why did you do this thing?

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

And Abraham said, Because it seemed to me that there was no fear of God in this place, and that they might put me to death because of my wife.

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

And, in fact, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:

13 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.’”

And when God sent me wandering from my father's house, I said to her, Let this be the sign of your love for me; wherever we go, say of me, He is my brother.

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

Then Abimelech gave to Abraham sheep and oxen and men-servants and women-servants, and gave him back his wife Sarah.

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

And Abimelech said, See, all my land is before you; take whatever place seems good to you.

16 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.”

And he said to Sarah, See, I have given to your brother a thousand bits of silver so that your wrong may be put right; now your honour is clear in the eyes of all.

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

Then Abraham made prayer to God, and God made Abimelech well again, and his wife and his women-servants, so that they had children.

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

For the Lord had kept all the women of the house of Abimelech from having children, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.