Genesis 20Genesis20

Berean Standard BibleKing James Version

1. Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech

2. 1BSBNow Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,KJVKJV: And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
3. 2BSBAbraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.KJVKJV: And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
4. 3BSBOne night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”KJVKJV: But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
5. 4BSBNow Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?KJVKJV: But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
6. 5BSBDidn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”KJVKJV: Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
7. 6BSBThen God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.KJVKJV: And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
8. 7BSBNow return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”KJVKJV: Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, 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.
9. 8BSBEarly the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.KJVKJV: 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.
10. 9BSBThen Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”KJVKJV: Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
11. 10BSBAbimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”KJVKJV: And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
12. 11BSBAbraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’KJVKJV: And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
13. 12BSBBesides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.KJVKJV: And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
14. 13BSBSo when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”KJVKJV: And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
15. 14BSBSo Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.KJVKJV: And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
16. 15BSBAnd Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”KJVKJV: And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
17. 16BSBAnd he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”KJVKJV: And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
18. 17BSBThen Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—KJVKJV: So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
19. 18BSBfor on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.KJVKJV: For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.