Gen 20 | JST | e4.org | And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

‏ Genesis 20

1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said again of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. 3 And Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said unto him, Behold, thou hast taken a woman which is not thine own, for she is Abraham's wife. 4 And the Lord said unto him, Thou shalt return her unto Abraham, for if thou do it not thou shalt die. 5 And Abimelech had not come near her; for the Lord had not suffered him. 6 And he said, Lord, wilt thou slay me, and also a righteous nation? Behold, said he not unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother; and in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 7 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst do this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me; therefore suffered I not thee to touch her. 8 Now, therefore, restore the man's wife to him, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not to him, know thou that thou shalt surely die; thou and all that are thine. 9 Therefore, Abimelech arose early in the morning, and called his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid. 10 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and in what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? 11 Thou hast done things unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 12 And Abraham said, Because I thought assuredly the fear of God was not in this place, and they would slay me for my wife's sake; 13 And yet indeed she was my sister; she was the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 14 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This shall be thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me, at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother. 15 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave unto Abraham, and restored unto him Sarah his wife. 16 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land lieth before thee; dwell where it pleaseth thee. 17 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he shall give unto thee a covering of the eyes, and it shall be a token unto all that thou mayest not be taken again from Abraham thy husband. And thus she was reproved. 18 So Abraham prayed unto God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they bare unto him children.$$$Genesis 20:19 For because of Sarah, Abraham's wife, the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech.