Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelech
Ge 12:10–20; 26:1–11
1Abraham journeyed from there toward the Negev, # Ge 18:1 settled between Kadesh and Shur, and then he sojourned in Gerar. # Ge 26:6 2Then Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” # Ge 26:7 So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for her and took Sarah. # Ge 12:15
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night # Job 33:15 and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” # Ps 105:14
4Abimelech had not gone near her, and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation? # Ge 18:23–25; 1Ch 21:17 5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did not even she herself say, ‘He is my brother’? In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” # 1Ki 9:4; Ps 7:8
6And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, for I also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her. # 1Sa 25:26, 34 7Therefore return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet and he will pray for you. # 1Sa 7:5; Job 42:8 Moreover, you will live. However, if you do not return her, know that you will surely die, you and all who are yours.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants and told them all these things, and the men were very afraid. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you that you would bring on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that should not have been done.” # Ge 12:18; 26:10 10Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?”
11Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife. # Ge 12:12; 26:7 12Still, indeed, she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. She became my wife. # Ge 11:29 13When God caused me to travel from my father’s house, # Ge 12:1, 9 I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you must show me: Every place where we go, say concerning me, He is my brother.’ ”
14Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, # Ge 12:16 and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever it pleases you.” # Ge 13:9; 34:10
16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand shekels of silver. # 20:16 About 25 pounds, or 12 kilograms. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”
17So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children. # Jas 5:16 18For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. # Ge 12:17
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Genesis 20: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
Genesis 20
20
Abraham Tricks Abimelech
1Abraham left Hebron and traveled to southern Canaan where he stayed awhile between Kadesh and Shur. When he moved to Gerar, 2he told people that his wife Sarah was his sister. Abimelech king of Gerar heard this, so he sent some servants to take her. 3But one night God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You will die. The woman you took is married.”
4But Abimelech had not gone near Sarah, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy an innocent nation? 5Abraham himself told me, ‘This woman is my sister,’ and she also said, ‘He is my brother.’ I am innocent. I did not know I was doing anything wrong.”
6Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know you did not realize what you were doing. So I did not allow you to sin against me and touch her. 7Give Abraham his wife back. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, you and all your family will surely die.”
8So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his officers and told them everything that had happened in the dream. They were very afraid. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham to him and said, “What have you done to us? What wrong did I do against you? Why did you bring this trouble to my kingdom? You should not have done these things to me. 10What were you thinking that caused you to do this?”
11Then Abraham answered, “I thought no one in this place respected God and that someone would kill me to get Sarah. 12And it is true that she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother. 13When God told me to leave my father’s house and wander in many different places, I told Sarah, ‘You must do a special favor for me. Everywhere we go tell people I am your brother.’ ”
14Then Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. He also gave Sarah, Abraham’s wife, back to him 15and said, “Look around you at my land. You may live anywhere you want.”
16Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham twenty-five pounds of silver to make up for any wrong that people may think about you. I want everyone to know that you are innocent.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls so they could have children. 18The Lord had kept all the women in Abimelech’s house from having children as a punishment on Abimelech for taking Abraham’s wife Sarah.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.