Abraham Tricks Abimelech

20 Abraham left Hebron [13:18] and traveled to ·southern Canaan [^Lthe Negev; 13:1] where he stayed awhile between Kadesh [16:14] and Shur [16:7]. When he ·moved to [sojourned/lived as an alien in] Gerar [^Cnorth of Kadesh and Shur; present-day Tell Abu Hureirah], ² he said to people about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister” [12:10–20; 26:1–11]. Abimelech king of Gerar heard this, so he sent some servants to take her. ³ But one night God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and said, “You will die. The woman you took is married.”

⁴ But Abimelech had not gone near Sarah, so he said, “Lord, would you ·destroy [^Lkill; slay] an innocent nation? ⁵ ·Abraham himself told [^LDid he not tell…?] me, ‘This woman is my sister,’ and ·she also said [^Ldid she not also say…?], ‘He is my brother.’ I ·am innocent and did not know I was doing anything wrong [^Ldid this with a pure conscience/blameless heart and innocent hands].”

⁶ Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know you did ·not realize what you were doing [this with a pure conscience/^Lblameless heart]. So I ·did not allow you to sin [restrained you from sinning] against me and touch her. ⁷ Give ·Abraham [^Lthe man] his wife back. He is a prophet [^Cone who interceded for others]. He will pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, you and all ·your family [^Lwho belong to you] will surely die.”

⁸ So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his ·officers [^Lservants] and told them everything that had happened in the dream. They were very afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham to him and said, “What have you done to us? What ·wrong [offense; sin] did I do against you? Why did you bring this ·trouble [great offense/guilt; ^Lgreat sin] to my kingdom? You should not have done these things to me. ¹⁰ What ·were you thinking [possessed you] that caused you to do this?”

¹¹ Then Abraham answered, “I thought no one in this place ·respected [feared] God and that someone would kill me to get ·Sarah [^Lmy wife]. ¹² And it is true that she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ When God ·told me to leave my father’s house and wander in many different places [^Lcaused me to wander from my father’s home; 12:1], I told Sarah, ‘You must ·do a special favor for [or show loyalty to] me. Everywhere we go tell people, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. He also gave Sarah, Abraham’s wife, back to him ¹⁵ and said, “·Look around you at my land [^LMy land is before you]. You may live anywhere you want.”

¹⁶ Abimelech said to Sarah, “I gave your brother Abraham ·twenty-five pounds [^Lone thousand pieces] of silver ·to make up for any wrong that people may think about you [^L—a covering of the eyes to all who are with you; ^Can indication that nothing improper happened]. I want everyone to know that you are innocent.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls so they could have children. ¹⁸ The Lord had ·kept all the women in Abimelech’s house from having children [^Lclosed up every womb of the house of Abimelech] ·as a punishment on Abimelech for taking [^Lon account of] Abraham’s wife Sarah.