Abraham at Gerar.
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From there Abraham journeyed on to the region of the Negeb, where he settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he resided in Gerar as an alien,
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Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah.
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But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him: You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she has a husband.
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Abimelech, who had not approached her, said: “O Lord, would you kill an innocent man?
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Was he not the one who told me, ‘She is my sister’? She herself also stated, ‘He is my brother.’ I acted with pure heart and with clean hands.”
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God answered him in the dream: Yes, I know you did it with a pure heart. In fact, it was I who kept you from sinning against me; that is why I did not let you touch her.
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So now, return the man’s wife so that he may intercede for you, since he is a prophet, that you may live. If you do not return her, you can be sure that you and all who are yours will die.
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Early the next morning Abimelech called all his servants and informed them of everything that had happened, and the men were filled with fear.
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Then Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him: “What have you done to us! What wrong did I do to you that you would have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have treated me in an intolerable way.
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What did you have in mind,” Abimelech asked him, “that you would do such a thing?”
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Abraham answered, “I thought there would be no fear of God in this place, and so they would kill me on account of my wife.
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Besides, she really is my sister, but only my father’s daughter, not my mother’s; and so she became my wife.
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When God sent me wandering from my father’s house, I asked her: ‘Would you do me this favor? In whatever place we come to, say: He is my brother.’”
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Then Abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham; and he restored his wife Sarah to him.
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Then Abimelech said, “Here, my land is at your disposal; settle wherever you please.”
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To Sarah he said: “I hereby give your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This will preserve your honor before all who are with you and will exonerate you before everyone.”
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Abraham then interceded with God, and God restored health to Abimelech, to his wife, and his maidservants, so that they bore children;
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for the LORD had closed every womb in Abimelech’s household on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah.