1   Abraham journeyed by stages from there into the Negeb, and settled between Kadesh and Shur, living as an alien in Gerar. 2   He said that Sarah his wife was his sister, and Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took her. 3   But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said, ‘You shall die because of this woman whom you have taken. She is a married woman.’ 4   Now Abimelech had not gone near her; and he said, ‘Lord, wilt thou destroy an innocent people? 5   Did he not tell me himself that she was his sister, and she herself said that he was her brother. It was with a clear conscience ^note and in all innocence that I did this.’ 6   God said to him in the dream, ‘Yes: I know that you acted with a clear

Abraham and Isaac conscience. Moreover, it was I who held you back from committing a sin against me: that is why I did not let you touch her. 7   Send back the man's wife now; he is a prophet, and he will intercede on your behalf, and you shall live. But if you do not send her back, I tell you that you are doomed to die, you and all that is yours.’ 8   So Abimelech rose early in the morning, summoned all his servants and told them the whole story; the men were terrified. 9   Abimelech then summoned Abraham and said to him, ‘Why have you treated us like this? What harm have I done to you that you should bring this great sin on me and my kingdom? 10   You have done a thing that ought not to be done.’ And he asked Abraham, ‘What was your purpose in doing this?’ 11   Abraham answered, ‘I said to myself, There can be no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me for the sake of my wife. 12   She is in fact my sister, she is my father's daughter though not by the same mother; and she became my wife. 13   When God set me wandering from my father's house, I said to her, “There is a duty towards me which you must loyally fulfil: wherever we go, you must say that I am your brother.”’ 14   Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle, and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15   Abimelech said, ‘My country lies before you; settle wherever you please.’ 16   To Sarah he said, ‘I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver, so that your own people may turn a blind eye on it all, and you will be completely vindicated.’ 17   Then Abraham interceded with God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his slave-girls, and they bore children; 18   for the Lord had made every woman in Abimelech's household barren on account of Abraham's wife Sarah.

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