Abraham traveled from there toward the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. While temporarily staying in Gerar,
Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, will you kill a nation even though it is blameless?
Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister?’ And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and with clean hands I have done this.”
God said to him in the dream, “Indeed, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
But now, return the man’s wife. Indeed, 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, yes, die; you and all who are yours.”
So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their ear; and the men were greatly frightened.
Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that should never be done!”
And Abimelech went on asking Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”
And Abraham said, “Because I said to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
And when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her, “This is the kindness that you can show to me. Everywhere that we go, say about me, ‘He is my brother.’”
Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male slaves and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.
Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Wherever it seems good in your eyes, live there.”
And to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves so that they could bear children,
for Yahweh had closed, yes, closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.