1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South , and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur ; and he sojourned in Gerar . 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent , and took Sarah . 3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night , and said to him , Behold , thou art but a dead man , because of the woman whom thou hast taken ; for she is a man ’s wife . 4Now Abimelech had not come near her : and he said, Lord , wilt thou slay even a righteous nation ? 5Said he not himself unto me , She is my sister? and she , even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this . 6And God said unto him in the dream , Yea , I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this , and I also withheld thee from sinning against me : therefore suffered I thee not to touch her . 7Now therefore restore the man ’s wife; for he is a prophet , and he shall pray for thee , and thou shalt live : and if thou restore her not , know thou that thou shalt surely die , thou , and all that are thine .
God's Intervention and Abimelech's Response
8And Abimelech rose early in the morning , and called all his servants , and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid . 9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him , What hast thou done unto us ? and wherein have I sinned against thee , that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin ? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done . 10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou , that thou hast done this thing ? 11And Abraham said , Because I thought , Surely the fear of God is not in this place ; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake . 12And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife: 13and it came to pass , when God caused me to wander from my father’s house , that I said unto her , This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me : at every place whither we shall come , say of me , He is my brother.
Restoration and Blessing
14And Abimelech took sheep and oxen , and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham , and restored him Sarah his wife. 15And Abimelech said, Behold , my land is before thee : dwell where it pleaseth thee . 16And unto Sarah he said, Behold , I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver : behold , it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee ; and in respect of all thou art righted. 17And Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and they bare children . 18For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah , Abraham’s wife.