Genesis 20

1 From there Abraham moved to the southern country and settled between Kadesh and Shur, and he stayed for a time in Gerar. 2 There Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister” — for he was afraid to say “She is my wife,” in case the men of the city killed him because of her. So Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in his sleep that night and said, “Look — you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she has lived with a husband.” 4 Now Abimelech had not touched her. And he said, “Lord, would you destroy a righteous nation that sinned without knowing? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And didn’t she herself tell me, ‘He is my brother’? I did this with a pure heart and with righteous hands.” 6 And God said to him in his sleep, “Yes, I knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I myself spared you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man his wife, for 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 die — you and all that is yours.”

8 Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants, and told them all these things in their hearing — and all the men were very afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? Did we sin against you somehow, that you have brought so great a sin on me and on my kingdom? You have done to me a thing no one ought to do.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see in me, that you did this?” 11 And Abraham said, “I said to myself: surely there is no worship of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12 Besides, she truly is my sister — my father’s daughter, though not my mother’s — and she became my wife. 13 And when God brought me out of my father’s house, I said to her, ‘Do me this righteousness: in every place we enter, say of me: He is my brother.’”

14 Then Abimelech took a thousand pieces of silver — about twenty-five pounds of it — with sheep and calves and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and he returned his wife Sarah to him. [a] 15 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever it pleases you.” 16 And to Sarah he said, “See, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Let that stand for the honor of your face — yours, and all the women with you. And in everything, speak the truth.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his servant women, and they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed up tight, from outside, every womb in the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. [b]