1And Abraham journeys from there toward the land of the south, and dwells between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourns in Gerar;
2and Abraham says concerning his wife Sarah, “She is my sister”; and Abimelech king of Gerar sends and takes Sarah.
3And God comes to Abimelech in a dream of the night and says to him, “Behold, you [are] a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken—and she married to a husband.”
4And Abimelech has not drawn near to her, and he says, “Lord, do you also slay a righteous nation?
5Has he not himself said to me, She [is] my sister! And she, even she herself, said, He [is] my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and in the innocence of my hands, I have done this.”
6And God says to him in the dream, “Indeed, I have known that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I withhold you, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not permitted you to come against her;
7and now send back the man’s wife, for he [is] inspired, and he prays for you, and you live; and if you do not send back, know that dying you die, you and all that you have.” 8And Abimelech rises early in the morning, and calls for all his servants, and speaks all these words in their ears; and the men fear exceedingly; 9and Abimelech calls for Abraham and says to him, “What have you done to us? And what have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me, and on my kingdom, a great sin? Works which are not done you have done with me.” 10Abimelech also says to Abraham, “What have you seen that you have done this thing?” 11And Abraham says, “Because I said, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they have slain me for the sake of my wife; 12and also, she is truly my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becomes my wife; 13and it comes to pass, when God has caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I say to her, This [is] your kindness which you do with me: at every place to where we come, say of me, He [is] my brother.” 14And Abimelech takes sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gives to Abraham, and sends back his wife Sarah to him; 15and Abimelech says, “Behold, my land [is] before you, where it is good in your eyes, dwell”; 16and to Sarah he has said, “Behold, I have given one thousand pieces of silver to your brother; behold, it is to you a covering of eyes, to all who are with you”; and by all this she is reasoned with. 17And Abraham prays to God, and God heals Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bear: 18for YHWH restraining had restrained every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. |