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20:1  Avraham traveled from there toward the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. While living as an alien in G’rar,
20:2  Avraham was saying of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister”; so Avimelekh king of G’rar sent and took Sarah.
20:3  But God came to Avimelekh in a dream one night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, since she is someone’s wife.”
20:4  Now Avimelekh had not come near her; so he said, “Lord, will you kill even an upright nation?
20:5  Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In doing this, my heart has been pure and my hands innocent.”
20:6  God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in doing this, your heart has been pure; and I too have kept you from sinning against me. This is why I didn’t let you touch her.
20:7  Therefore, return the man’s wife to him now. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, so that you will live. But if you don’t return her, know that you will certainly die — you and all who belong to you.”
20:8  Avimelekh got up early in the morning, called all his servants and told them these things; and the men became very afraid.
20:9  Then Avimelekh called Avraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you to cause you to bring on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that are just not done.”
20:10  Avimelekh went on, asking Avraham, “Whatever could have caused you to do such a thing?”
20:11  Avraham replied, “It was because I thought, ‘There could not possibly be any fear of God in this place, so they will kill me in order to get my wife.’
20:12  But she actually is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and so she became my wife.
20:13  When God had me leave my father’s house, I told her, ‘Do me this favor: wherever we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14  Avimelekh took sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Avraham; and he returned to him Sarah his wife.
20:15  Then Avimelekh said, “Look, my country lies before you; live where you like.”
20:16  To Sarah he said, “Here, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. That will allay the suspicions of everyone who is with you. Before everyone you are cleared.”
20:17  Avraham prayed to God, and God healed Avimelekh and his wife and slave-girls, so that they could have children.
20:18  For Adonai had made every woman in Avimelekh’s household infertile on account of Sarah Avraham’s wife.