201 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev , and settled between Kadesh and Shur ; then he sojourned in Gerar . 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife , " She is my sister ." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah .
3 But 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 e ." 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said , "Lord , will You slay a nation , even though blameless ? 5 "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister '? And she herself said , 'He is my brother .' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this ." 6 Then God said to him in the dream , "Yes , I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this , and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore e I did not let you touch her. 7 "Now therefore, restore the man's wife , for he is a prophet , and he will pray for you and you will live . But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die , you and all who are yours."
8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing ; and the men were greatly frightened . 9 Then 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 ." 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham , "What have you encountered , that you have done this thing ?" 11 Abraham said , "Because I thought , surely there is no fear of God in this place , and they will kill me because e of my wife . 12 "Besides , she actually is my sister , the daughter of my father , but not the daughter of my mother , and she became my wife ; 13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father's house , that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere e e e e we go , say of me, "He is my brother .""'
14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants e , and gave them to Abraham , and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said , " Behold , my land is before you; settle wherever you please e ." 16 To Sarah he said , "Behold , I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver ; behold , it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared ." 17 Abraham prayed to God , and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids , so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because e of Sarah , Abraham's wife .
