Genesis 20
20
1And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh (to be consecrated, consecrated, sanctified) and Shur [wall] (wall), and detained (held) in G’rar (a lodging place).
2And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] said of Sarah [Princess] his wife, She [is] my sister: and Avi-melekh (my father is king) king of G’rar (a lodging place) sent, and took Sarah [Princess].
3But God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] came to Avi-melekh (my father is king) in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, youi [are but] a dead man, for the woman which youi hast taken; for she [is] a man’s wife.
4But Avi-melekh (my father is king) had not come near her: and he said, Lord-Adonai [The Father] (Greatest Above All), will youi slay also a righteous nation?
5Said he not unto 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.
6And God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] said unto him in a dream, Yes, I know that youi did this in the integrity of youri heart; for I also withheld youi from sinning against me: therefore suffered I youi not to touch her.
7Now therefore restore the man [his] wife; for he [is] a prophet, and he shall pray for youi, and youi shall live: and if youi restore [her] not, know youi that youi shall surely die, youi, and all that [are] yoursi.
8Therefore Avi-melekh (my father is king) rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9Then Avi-melekh called Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], and said unto him, What hast youi done unto us? and what have I offended youi, that youi hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? youi hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10And Avi-melekh said unto Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], What [did] youi see, that youi have done this thing?
11And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] [is] not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12And 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.
13And it came to pass, when God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This [is] you (i) kindness which youi shall show unto me; at every place to where we shall come, say of me, He [is] my brother.
14And Avi-melekh (my father is king) took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and women servants, and gave [them] unto Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], and restored him Sarah [Princess] his wife.
15And Avi-melekh (my father is king) said, Behold, my land [is] before youi: dwell where it pleases youi.
16And unto Sarah [Princess] he said, Behold, I have given youri brother a thousand [pieces] of silver: behold, he [is] to youi a covering of the eyes, unto all that [are] with youi, and with all [other]: in this way she was reproved.
17So Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] prayed unto God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered]: and God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] healed Avi-melekh (my father is king), and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bore children.
18For the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Avi-melekh, because of Sarah [Princess] Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] wife.
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Genesis 20
20
1-2a Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She’s my sister.”
2b-3 So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, “You’re as good as dead—that woman you took, she’s a married woman.”
4-5Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn’t so much as touched her. He said, “Master, would you kill an innocent man? Didn’t he tell me, ‘She’s my sister’? And didn’t she herself say, ‘He’s my brother’? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this.”
6-7God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that’s why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. So now give the man’s wife back to him. He’s a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don’t give her back, know that it’s certain death both for you and everyone in your family.”
8-9Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, “What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you’ve done to me ought never to have been done.”
10Abimelech went on to Abraham, “Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?”
11-13Abraham said, “I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they’d kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she’s my father’s daughter but not my mother’s. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father’s home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I’m your brother.’”
14-15Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, “My land is open to you; live wherever you wish.”
16And to Sarah he said, “I’ve given your brother a thousand pieces of silver—that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You’re vindicated.”
17-18Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. For God had shut down every womb in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.