Genesis 20
20
Abraham Goes to Gerar
1Abraham left that place and traveled to the Negev. He settled in the city of Gerar, between Kadesh and Shur. While in Gerar, 2Abraham told people that Sarah was his sister. King Abimelech of Gerar heard this. Abimelech wanted Sarah, 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 yet slept with Sarah, so he said, “Lord, I am not guilty. Would you kill an innocent man? 5Abraham himself told me, ‘This woman is my sister,’ and she also said, ‘This man is my brother.’ I am innocent. I did not know what I was doing.”
6Then God said to Abimelech in a dream, “Yes, I know that you are innocent and that you did not know what you were doing. I saved you. I did not allow you to sin against me. I was the one who did not allow you to sleep with her. 7So give Abraham his wife again. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don’t give Sarah back to him, I promise that you will die. And all your family will die with you.”
8So very early the next morning, Abimelech called all his servants and told them about the dream. The servants were very afraid. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “Why have you done this to us? What wrong did I do to you? Why did you lie and say that she was your sister? You brought great trouble to my kingdom. You should not have done this to me. 10What were you afraid of? Why did you do this to me?”
11Then Abraham said, “I thought no one in this place respected God. I thought someone would kill me to get Sarah. 12She is my wife, but she is also my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother. 13God led me away from my father’s house. He led me to wander to many different places. When that happened, I told Sarah, ‘Do something for me. Wherever we go, tell people you are my sister.’”
14So Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham. Abimelech also gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves. 15And Abimelech said, “Look all around you. This is my land. You may live any place you want.”
16Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham 1000 pieces of silver. I did this to show that I am very sorry. I want everyone to see that I did the right thing.”
17-18The Lord made all the women in Abimelech’s family not able to have children. God did this because Abimelech had taken Sarah, Abraham’s wife. But Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls.
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Genesis 20: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelech
1From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between #ch. 16:7, 14 Kadesh and Shur; and he #ch. 26:3 sojourned in #ch. 26:6Gerar. 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, #See ch. 12:13-20; 26:7-11“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3#Ps. 105:14 But God came to Abimelech #Job 33:15, 16; Matt. 1:20; 2:12in a dream by night 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.” 4Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, #ch. 18:23; [1 Chr. 21:17]“Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning #ch. 39:9; Ps. 51:4against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now then, return the man’s wife, #1 Sam. 7:5; Job 42:8 for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you #[Num. 16:32, 33]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 much afraid. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, #Prov. 16:6 ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and #ch. 12:12; 26:7they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, #[ch. 11:29]she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13And when #ch. 12:1 God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, #ch. 12:13say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14Then Abimelech #ch. 12:16took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelech said, “Behold, #ch. 13:9; 34:10my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given #[ver. 5] your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is #[ch. 24:65]a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all#20:16 Hebrew It is a covering of eyes for all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17Then #[James 5:16]Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18For the Lord #[ch. 12:17]had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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