Genesis 20

1 And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

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

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

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

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, on account of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

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.”

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?

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

5 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 innocency of my hands have I done this.

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.”

6 And God said to him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore I allowed thee not to touch her.

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.

7 Now therefore restore to the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou shalt not restore her, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

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.”

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

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.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What hast thou done to us? and how have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds to me that ought not to be done.

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.”

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

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

11 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.

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.

12 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.

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.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show to me; at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

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.’”

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.

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.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

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

16 And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, to all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

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.”

17 So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bore children.

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

18 For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

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