 1 Abraham moved from there toward the south country, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. Then King Abimelech of Gerar took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, Behold, you are about to die, for the woman you have taken. For she is a man's wife. 4 But Abimelech had not come near her. He said, Lord, will you also kill a righteous nation? 5 Did he not say to me, She is my sister? Even she herself said, He is my brother. In the sincerity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this. 6 God said to him in a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the sincerity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her. 7 Therefore, restore his wife to the man, for he is a prophet and he will pray for you and you will live. If you do not restore her, you will surely die, you and all who are yours. 8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, told all these things in their ears, and the men were greatly afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us? In what have I offended you so that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done. 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see that you have done this? 11 Abraham said, I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will kill me for my wife's sake. 12 Yet truly she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 When God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, This is your kindness that you show to me, at every place where we come, say of me, He is my brother. 14 Abimelech took sheep and oxen and men servants and women servants and gave them to Abraham and restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 Abimelech said, My land is before you. Live where it pleases you. 16 To Sarah he said, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. He is to you a covering of the eyes, to all who are with you. With all this, you are justified. 17 Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his slave women and they gave birth. 18 For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
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