Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech 1 CPDV Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar. BSB BSB: Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
2 CPDV And he said about his wife Sarah: “She is my sister.” Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her. BSB BSB: Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3 CPDV Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: “Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband.” BSB BSB: One 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.”
4 CPDV In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: “Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just? BSB BSB: Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
5 CPDV Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did she not say, ‘He is my brother?’ In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this.” BSB BSB: Didn’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.”
6 CPDV And God said to him: “And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her. BSB BSB: Then 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.
7 CPDV Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours.” BSB BSB: Now 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.”
8 CPDV And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid. BSB BSB: Early 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.
9 CPDV Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: “What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done.” BSB BSB: Then 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.”
10 CPDV And remonstrating him again, he said, “What did you see, so that you would do this?” BSB BSB: Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
11 CPDV Abraham responded: “I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife. BSB BSB: Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
12 CPDV Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife. BSB BSB: Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
13 CPDV Then, after God led me out of my father’s house, I said to her: ‘You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.’ ” BSB BSB: So 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.”’”
14 CPDV Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him. BSB BSB: So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
15 CPDV And he said, “The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you.” BSB BSB: And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”
16 CPDV Then to Sarah he said: “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken.” BSB BSB: And 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.”
17 CPDV Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth. BSB BSB: Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—
18 CPDV For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham. BSB BSB: for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.