1 Now Abraham journeyed from AGen 18:1there toward the land of BGen 12:9the 1I.e. South countryNegev, and 2Lit dweltsettled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in CGen 26:1, 6Gerar. 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “AGen 12:11-13; 20:12; 26:7She is my sister.” So BGen 12:15Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 AGen 12:17, 18But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, BGen 20:7you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is 1Lit married to a husbandmarried.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, AGen 18:23-25will You slay a nation, even though 1Lit righteousblameless? 5  “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she AGen 20:13herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In B1 Kin 9:4; Ps 7:8; 26:6the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my 1Lit palmshands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also 1Lit restrainedA1 Sam 25:26, 34kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7  “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for A1 Sam 7:5; 2 Kin 5:11; Job 42:8he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 9 AGen 12:18Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And 1Lit whathow have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom BGen 39:9a great sin? You have done to me 2Lit deedsthings that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you 1Lit seenencountered, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no ANeh 5:15; Prov 16:6fear of God in this place, and BGen 12:12; 26:7they will kill me because of my wife. 12  “Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13 and it came about, when AGen 12:1-9God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is 1Lit yourthe kindness which you will show to me: 2Lit at every place whereeverywhere we go, BGen 12:13; 20:5say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14 AGen 12:16Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “AGen 13:9; 34:10; 47:6Behold, my land is before you; 1Lit dwellsettle wherever 2Lit it is good in your sightyou please.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your AGen 20:5brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is 1Lit for you a covering of the eyesyour vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” 17 ANum 12:13; 21:7; James 5:16Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 18 AGen 12:17For the Loʀᴅ had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.