Abraham and Abimelech

¹ And Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negev, and he settled between Kadesh and Shur. And he dwelled as an alien in Gerar.

² And Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

³ And God came to Abimelech in a dream at night. And he said to him, “Look, you are a dead man on account of the woman you have taken. For she is ⌞a married woman⌟.”¹

1. Literally “married of a husband” or “a woman owned by a husband”

⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “my Lord, will you even kill a righteous people?”

⁵ Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ With integrity of my heart and with cleanness of my hands I did this.”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes,¹ I know that in the integrity of your heart you did this, and I also ⌞kept you from sinning⌟² against me. Therefore, I did not allow you to touch her.

1. Or “Also”
2. Literally “kept back from sinning”

⁷ So now, return the wife of the man, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you and you will live. And ⌞if you do not return her⌟,¹ know that you will certainly die, and all that are yours.”

1. Literally “If there is not for you a returning”

⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning. And he called all his servants and ⌞told them all these things⌟,¹ and the men were very afraid.

1. Literally “said all these things in their ears”

⁹ And Abimelech called for Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you that you brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that should not be done.”

¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “⌞What were you thinking⌟¹ that you did this thing?”

1. Literally “What have you seen?”

¹¹ And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place; they will kill me on account of the matter of my wife.

¹² ⌞Besides⌟,¹ she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.

1. Literally “And also moreover”

¹³ And it happened that as God caused me to wander from the house of my father I said to her, ‘This is your loyal kindness that you must do for me at every place where we come: say concerning me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

¹⁴ And Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male slaves and female slaves, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned Sarah his wife to him.

¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “Here is my land before you; settle ⌞where it pleases you⌟.”¹

1. Literally “in the good in your eyes”

¹⁶ And to Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother. It shall be ⌞an exoneration⌟.¹ ⌞You are vindicated before all who are with you⌟.”²

1. Literally “a covering of the eyes”
2. Literally “to all who are with you and with all you are vindicated”

¹⁷ And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female servants so that they could bear children again.

¹⁸ For Yahweh had completely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of the matter of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.