Read the Bible

Abraham and Abimelech

¹ Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident in Gerar, ² Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

³ But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else's wife."

⁴ Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, "Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁵ Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister'? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.' I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!"

⁶ Then in the dream God replied to him, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her. ⁷ But now give back the man's wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don't give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you."

⁸ Early in the morning Abimelech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified. ⁹ Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!" ¹⁰ Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What prompted you to do this thing?"

¹¹ Abraham replied, "Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' ¹² What's more, she is indeed my sister, my father's daughter, but not my mother's daughter. She became my wife. ¹³ When God made me wander from my father's house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, "He is my brother."'"

¹⁴ So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. ¹⁵ Then Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please."

¹⁶ To Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your ‘brother.' This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you."

¹⁷ Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife.