Genesis 20Book 1 of 66 · 18 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. Abraham journeyed from there toward the Negev, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
  2. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister," so Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
  3. But 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 already married."
  4. But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, "Lord, will You destroy an innocent nation also?"
  5. Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.
  6. And God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her."
  7. Now therefore, 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.
  8. So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants together, and told all these things in their hearing, and the men were terrified.
  9. Then 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 such a great sin? You have done things to me that ought not to be done."
  10. Then Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see that possessed you to do this thing?"
  11. And Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife."
  12. Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
  13. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is the loyalty you must show me: at every place wherever we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'
  14. Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and presented them to Abraham, and he restored Sarah his wife to him.
  15. And Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you; settle wherever it pleases you."
  16. Then to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this is a verification of your innocence before all who are with you and before everybody." Thus she was vindicated.
  17. So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants so that they could bear children.
  18. For the LORD had completely closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.