Chapter 20

  And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadash and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.  

  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister: And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.  

  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, on account of the woman whom thou hast taken: for she is a man's wife.  

  But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?  

  Said he not to me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart, and innocence of my hands have I done this.  

  And God said to 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 I suffered thee not to touch her.  

  Now therefore restore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou shalt not restore her, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.  

  Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were greatly afraid.  

  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What has thou done to us? and in what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds to me that ought not to be done.  

  And Abimelech said to Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?  

  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.  

  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.  

  And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show to me; At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.  

  And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.  

  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.  

  And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, to all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.  

  So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bore children.  

  For the LORD had made barren all the females of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.