¶ And Abraham journeyed from¹ thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh² and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar³.

And Abraham said⁴ of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech⁵ king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

¶ But God came to Abimelech in a dream⁶ by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead⁷ man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife⁸.

But Abimelech had⁹ not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt¹⁰ thou slay also a righteous nation?

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity¹¹ of my heart and innocency¹² of my hands have I done this.

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld¹³ thee from sinning¹⁴ against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch¹⁵ her.

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet¹⁶, and he shall pray¹⁷ for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely¹⁸ die, thou, and all¹⁹ that are thine.

¶ Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast²⁰ thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great²¹ sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought²² not to be done.

¶ And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely²³ the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay²⁴ me for my wife's sake.

And yet²⁵ indeed she is my sister; she is the²⁶ daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

And it came to pass, when God²⁷ caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This²⁸ is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say²⁹ of me, He is my brother.

¶ And Abimelech took³⁰ sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored³¹ him Sarah his wife.

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land³² is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee³³.

And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy³⁴ brother a thousand³⁵ pieces of silver: behold,³⁶ he is to thee a covering³⁷ of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus³⁸ she was reproved.

³⁹So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

⁴⁰For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.