Genesis 20

New American Standard Bible

Abraham’s Treachery

20 Now Abraham journeyed from ^(A)there toward the land of ^(B)the ^[a]Negev, and ^[b]settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he lived for a time in ^(C)Gerar. ² And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “^(D)She is my sister.” So ^(E)Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah. ^3 (F)But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, ^(G)you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is ^[c]married.” ⁴ Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, ^(H)will You kill a nation, even though ^[d]blameless? ⁵ Did he himself not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she ^(I)herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In ^(J)the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my ^[e]hands I have done this.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also ^[f](K)kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now then, return the man’s wife, for ^(L)he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ So Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ^[g]presence; and the people were greatly frightened. ^9 (M)Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And ^[h]how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom ^(N)a great sin? You have done to me ^[i]things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you ^[j]encountered, that you have done this thing?” ¹¹ Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no ^(O)fear of God in this place, and ^(P)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 about, when ^(Q)God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is ^[k]the kindness which you will show to me: ^[l]everywhere we go, ^(R)say of me, “He is my brother.”’” ^14 (S)Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ Abimelech said, “^(T)Behold, my land is before you; ^[m]settle wherever ^[n]you please.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your ^(U)brother a thousand pieces of silver. ^[o]It is ^[p]your vindication before all who are with you, and before everyone you are cleared.” ¹⁷ Then ^(V)Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, so that they gave birth to children. ^18 (W)For the Lord had completely closed all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.