Genesis 20
20
Sarah Rescued from Abimelech
1From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived in Gerar, # Gn 26:1,6 2Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” # Gn 12:13; 26:7 So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” # Lit is possessed by a husband
4Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience # Lit with integrity of my heart and clean # Lit cleanness of my hands.”
6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. # Lit with integrity of your heart I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, # 1Sm 7:5; 2Kg 5:11; Jb 42:8 and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally # Lit in their ears told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” # Gn 12:19; 26:9 10Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What did you intend when you did this thing? ”
11Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. # Neh 5:15; Pr 16:6 They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13So when God had me wander from my father’s house, # Gn 12:1 I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’ ” # Gn 12:13; 20:5
14Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. # Gn 13:9; 34:10; 47:6 Settle wherever you want.” # Lit Settle in the good in your eyes 16And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor # Lit a covering of the eyes to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, # Nm 12:13; 21:7; Jms 5:16 and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, 18for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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Genesis 20: HCSB
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Bereshis 20
20
1And Avraham journeyed from there toward the Negev region, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2And Avraham said of Sarah his isha, She is my achot; and Avimelech Melech Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3But Elohim came to Avimelech in a chalom halailah, and said to him, See, thou art met (dead), for the isha which thou hast taken; for she is be'ulat ba'al (married of a husband).
4But Avimelech had not come near her; and he said, Adonoi, wilt Thou slay also a goy tzaddik?
5Said he not unto me, She is my achot? and she, even she herself said, He is achi: in the tohm (integrity, guilelessness) of my lev and with clean hands of my innocency have I done this.
6And HaElohim said unto him in a chalom, Yea, I have da'as that thou didst this in the tohm (integrity, guilelessness) of thy lev; for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me; therefore allowed I thee not to touch her.
7Now therefore restore the ish his isha; for he is a navi, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8Therefore Avimelech rose early in the boker, and called all his avadim, and told all these things in their ears; and the anashim were very afraid.
9Then Avimelech called Avraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and how have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my mamlechah (kingdom) a chata'ah gedolah (great sin)? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10And Avimelech said unto Avraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11And Avraham said, Because I thought, Surely the yirat Elohim is not in this place; and they will slay me on account of my isha.
12And yet indeed she is my achot; she is the bat avi, but not the bat immi; and she became my isha.
13And it came to pass, when Elohim caused me to wander from my bais avi, that I said unto her, This is thy chesed which thou shalt show unto me; at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is achi.
14And Avimelech took tzon, and oxen, and avadim, and shfachot, and gave them unto Avraham, and restored to him Sarah his isha.
15And Avimelech said, Hinei, my land is before thee; dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16And unto Sarah he said, Hinei, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of kesef; hinei, it is to thee a kesut einayim (covering of the eyes, exoneration), unto all that are with thee, and with all other; thus she was vindicated.
17So Avraham davened unto Elohim: and Elohim healed Avimelech, and his isha, and his maidservants so that they bore children.
18For Hashem had fast closed up kol rechem (every womb) of the bais Avimelech, on account of Sarah Avrahamʼs isha.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.