Genesis 20

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

And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned 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 by night, and said to him, Behold, you are but a dead man, for the woman which 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?

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, will you slay also a righteous 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!”

Said he not 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 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 a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart; for I also withheld you from sinning against me: therefore suffered I you not to touch 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.”

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: and if you restore her not, know you that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours.

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.

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

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 called Abraham, and said to him, What have you done to us? and what have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? you have done deeds to me that should not to be done.

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

And Abimelech said to Abraham, What saw you, that you have done 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 I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

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

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 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 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.

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

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

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

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you: dwell where it pleases 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 to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to you a covering of the eyes, to all that are with you, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

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

So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bore 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 fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.