Abraham Lies to Abimelech

1And Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the [†]Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [†]married.” 4(Now Abimelech had not come near her.) Then he said, “Lord, will You kill a nation, even though righteous? 5Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself also said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my [†]hands I have done this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Indeed, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also [†]held you back from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7So now, return the man’s 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 shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly afraid. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And [†]how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me [†]things that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you seen, that you have done this thing?” 11And Abraham said, “Because I said, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13and it happened when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is [†]the lovingkindness which you will show to me: [†]everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” 14Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; [†]settle wherever it is good in your sight.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is [†]your vindication before all who are with you, and before all you are [†]cleared.” 17And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they bore children. 18For Yahweh had utterly shut all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.