Genesis 20

Abraham’s Treachery

1Now Abraham journeyed from 1there toward the land of 2the 3Negev, and 4settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in 5Gerar. 2Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “6She is my sister.” So 7Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 38But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, 9you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is 10married.” 4Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, 11will You slay a nation, even though 12blameless? 5Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she 13herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In 14the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my 15hands I have done this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also 1617kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for 18he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 919Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And 20how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom 21a great sin? You have done to me 22things that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you 23encountered, that you have done this thing?” 11Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no 24fear of God in this place, and 25they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13and it came about, when 26God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is 27the kindness which you will show to me: 28everywhere we go, 29say of me, “He is my brother.”’” 1430Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelech said, “31Behold, my land is before you; 32settle wherever 33you please.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your 34brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is 35your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” 1736Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 1837For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.