1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country,
and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar
sent, and took Sarah.
3 But
God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a
dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a
man's wife.
4 But
Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a
righteous nation?
5 Said
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.
6 And
God said unto 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
suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now
therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a
prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not,
know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
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 sore afraid.
9 Then
Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and
what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a
great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And
Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
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.
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.
13 And
it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I
said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew
unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my
brother.
14 And
Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto
Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And
Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth
thee.
16 And
unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of
silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto
all that are with
thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
17 So
Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his
maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For
the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of
Sarah Abraham's wife.
