Abraham moved from there to the south and settled in Gerar between Kadesh and Shur.

Abraham called his wife Sarah his sister, and Abimelech king of Gerar sent someone to take Sarah.

But at night God came and said to Abimelech in a dream, You are a dead man, because you have taken that woman. She used to be someone else’s wife.

But Abimelech had not yet approached Sarah. He said, Lord, will you destroy even the righteous kingdom?

Isn’t that person telling me by themselves that she’s my sister? Even the woman herself said, he is my brother. I did this with a clean heart and hands.

God said to him in a dream, “I know that you have done this with integrity in your heart.”. I also stopped you to prevent you from offending me, so I won’t let you touch her.

Now you return this person’s wife to him. Because he is a prophet, he will pray for you to live. If you don’t return it to him, you should know that you and all of your people will surely die.

Abimelech got up early in the morning and summoned all his servants to tell them all these things. They were all very afraid.

Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “How have you done this to me?”? What have I offended you in, that you have caused me and the people of my country to commit great sins. You have done something inappropriate to me.

And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see before you did this?

Abraham said, I thought that the people of this place were not afraid of God and would kill me for the sake of my wife.

Besides, she is really my sister. She and I were half parents and later became my wife.

When God asked me to leave my father’s house and wander outside, I said to her, Wherever we go, you can tell people that he is my brother. This is your grace towards me.

Abimelech gave oxen, sheep, and maidservants to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him.

And Abimelech said, See, all my land is before you, and you may dwell as you please.

And he said to Sarah, I will give your brother a thousand silver as an eye to cover your shame in front of your whole family, and you will have no shame in front of everyone.

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his maids, so that they could have children.

Because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, the Lord has made it impossible for the women in Abimelech’s household to have children.