20:1 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the ①Negev, and ②settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he lived for a time in Gerar.
▷ ①I.e., South country ②Lit dwelt
20:2 And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah.
20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is ①married.”
▷ ①Lit married to a husband
20:4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You kill a nation, even though ①blameless?
▷ ①Lit righteous
20:5 Did he himself not 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 ①hands I have done this.”
▷ ①Lit palms
20:6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also ①kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
▷ ①Lit restrained
20:7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, 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.”
20:8 So Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ①presence; and the people were greatly frightened.
▷ ①Lit ears
20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And ①how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me ②things that ought not to be done.”
▷ ①Lit what ②Lit deeds
20:10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you ①encountered, that you have done this thing?”
▷ ①Lit seen
20:11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
20:12 Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife;
20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is ①the kindness which you will show to me: ②everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
▷ ①Lit your ②Lit at every place where
20:14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him.
20:15 Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; ①settle wherever ②you please.”
▷ ①Lit dwell ②Lit it is good in your sight
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. ①It is ②your vindication before all who are with you, and before everyone you are cleared.”
▷ ①Lit Behold, it is ②Lit for you a covering of the eyes
20:17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, so that they gave birth to children.
20:18 For the LORD had completely closed all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.