Genesis 20
20
Genesis 20
Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
1 #
Gen 16.7, 14; 18.1; 26.6 From there Abraham journeyed toward the region of the Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While residing in Gerar as an alien, 2#v 12; Gen 12.13, 15Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” And King Abimelech of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3#Gen 26.11; Job 33.15; Ps 105.14But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a married woman.” 4Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent people? 5#1 Kings 9.4; 2 Kings 20.3Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart; furthermore, it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7#1 Sam 7.5; Job 42.8Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all that are yours.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things, and the men were very much afraid. 9#Gen 26.10; 34.7; Ex 32.21; Josh 7.25Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking, that you did this thing?” 11#Gen 12.12; 26.7; Ps 36.1Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13#v 5And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.’ ” 14#Gen 12.16Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15#Gen 13.9Abimelech said, “My land is before you; settle where it pleases you.” 16To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; it is your exoneration before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.” 17#Num 12.13; Job 42.9Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18#Gen 12.17For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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Genesis 20: NRSVUE
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelek
1Abraham moved south into the Negev Desert. He lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar. 2There Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She’s my sister.” Then Abimelek, the king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
3So God appeared to Abimelek in a dream one night. He said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken. She is already married.”
4But Abimelek hadn’t gone near her. So he said, “Lord, will you destroy a nation that hasn’t done anything wrong? 5Didn’t Abraham say to me, ‘She’s my sister’? And didn’t she also say, ‘He’s my brother’? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong.”
6Then God spoke to him in the dream. He said, “Yes, I know you had no idea you were doing anything wrong. So I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7Now return the man’s wife to him. He is a prophet. So he will pray for you, and you will live. But what if you do not return her? Then you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
8Early the next morning Abimelek sent for all his officials. When he told them everything that had happened, they were really afraid. 9Then Abimelek called Abraham in. Abimelek said, “What have you done to us? Have I done something wrong to you? Why have you brought so much guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10Abimelek also asked Abraham, “Why did you do this?”
11Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is no respect for God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, she really is my sister. She’s the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. 13God had me wander away from my father’s house. So I said to her, ‘Here is how you can show your love to me. Everywhere we go, say about me, “He’s my brother.” ’ ”
14Then Abimelek gave Abraham sheep and cattle and male and female slaves. He also returned his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelek said, “Here is my land. Live anywhere you want to.”
16He said to Sarah, “I’m giving your brother 25 pounds of silver. This will show everyone with you that I am sorry for what I did to you. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek. He also healed his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again. 18The Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s house from having children. He had done it because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
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