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 mans 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 wifes
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 fathers 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 Abrahams wife.