1Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and he settled between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is married to a husband.”
4Now Abimelech had not drawn near to her, so he said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?”
5Did he not say to me himself, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself also said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.
6And God said to him in the dream, “I also know that in the integrity of your heart you did this, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her.”
7Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and spoke all these words in their hearing; and the men were greatly afraid.
9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me deeds that ought not to be done.”
10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?”
11Abraham said, “Because I said, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
12And besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the loyal love that you shall show me: at every place where we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’
14Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him.
15And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever it seems good in your eyes.”
16And to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother; behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children.
18For Yahweh had firmly closed every womb of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Open in the interactive reader →Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.