Genesis 20
20
1Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cedes and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.
2And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the king of Gerara sent, and took her.
3And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Lo, thou shalt die for the woman thou hast taken; for she hath a husband.
4Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, that is ignorant and just?
5Did not he say to me: She is my sister; and she say: He is my brother? In the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands, have I done this.
6And God said to him: And I know that thou didst it with a sincere heart: and therefore I withheld thee from sinning against me, and I suffered thee not to touch her.
7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet. And he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou wilt not restore her, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.
8And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night called all his servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing. And all the men were exceedingly afraid.
9And Abimelech called also for Abraham, and said to him: What hast thou done to us? What have we offended thee in, that thou hast brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done to us what thou oughtest not to do.
10And again he expostulated with him, and said: What sawest thou, that thou hast done this?
11Abraham answered: I thought with myself, saying: Perhaps there is not the fear of God in this place; and they will kill me for the sake of my wife.
12Howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her to wife.
13And after God brought me out of my father's house, I said to her: Thou shalt do me this kindness: In every place, to which we shall come, thou shalt say that I am thy brother.
14And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara, his wife.
15And said: The land is before you; dwell wheresoever it shall please thee.
16And to Sara he said: Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver. This shall serve thee for a covering of thy eyes to all that are with thee, and whithersoever thou shalt go: and remember thou wast taken.
17And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids: and they bore children:
18For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech, on account of Sara, Abraham's wife.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Genesis 20
20
Sarah Rescued from Abimelech
1From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived in Gerar, # Gn 26:1,6 2Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” # Gn 12:13; 26:7 So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” # Lit is possessed by a husband
4Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience # Lit with integrity of my heart and clean # Lit cleanness of my hands.”
6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. # Lit with integrity of your heart I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, # 1Sm 7:5; 2Kg 5:11; Jb 42:8 and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally # Lit in their ears told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” # Gn 12:19; 26:9 10Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What did you intend when you did this thing? ”
11Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. # Neh 5:15; Pr 16:6 They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13So when God had me wander from my father’s house, # Gn 12:1 I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’ ” # Gn 12:13; 20:5
14Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. # Gn 13:9; 34:10; 47:6 Settle wherever you want.” # Lit Settle in the good in your eyes 16And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor # Lit a covering of the eyes to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, # Nm 12:13; 21:7; Jms 5:16 and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, 18for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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