Abraham and Abimelek^(A)

20 Now Abraham moved on from there^(B) into the region of the Negev^(C) and lived between Kadesh^(D) and Shur.^(E) For a while^(F) he stayed in Gerar,^{(G) 2} and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.^(H)” Then Abimelek^(I) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.^(J)

³ But God came to Abimelek^(K) in a dream^(L) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead^(M) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”^(N)

⁴ Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?^{(O) 5} Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,^(P)’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience^(Q) and clean hands.^(R)”

⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept^(S) you from sinning against me.^(T) That is why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,^(U) and he will pray for you^(V) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”^(W)

⁸ Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.^(X)” ¹⁰ And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God^(Y) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’^{(Z) 12} Besides, she really is my sister,^(AA) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God had me wander^(AB) from my father’s household,^(AC) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelek^(AD) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham,^(AE) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”^(AF)

¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels^[a] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God,^(AG) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, ¹⁸ for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.^(AH)

Abram in Egypt^(A)

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land,^(B) and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.^{(C) 11} As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,^(D) “I know what a beautiful woman^(E) you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister,^(F) so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.^{(G) 15} And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.^(H)

¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted^(I) serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household^(J) because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?”^(K) he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?^{(L) 19} Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’^(M) so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

The Treaty at Beersheba

²² At that time Abimelek^(A) and Phicol the commander of his forces^(B) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.^{(C) 23} Now swear^(D) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.^(E) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”^(F)

²⁴ Abraham said, “I swear it.”

²⁵ Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.^{(G) 26} But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

²⁷ So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.^{(H) 28} Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, ²⁹ and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

³⁰ He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness^(I) that I dug this well.^(J)”

³¹ So that place was called Beersheba,^[a](K) because the two men swore an oath^(L) there.

³² After the treaty^(M) had been made at Beersheba,^(N) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces^(O) returned to the land of the Philistines.^{(P) 33} Abraham planted a tamarisk tree^(Q) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,^(R) the Eternal God.^{(S) 34} And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines^(T) for a long time.

Psalm 103

Of David.

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah^(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.^{(B) 2} Sarah became pregnant and bore a son^(C) to Abraham in his old age,^(D) at the very time God had promised him.^{(E) 3} Abraham gave the name Isaac^[a](F) to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,^(G) as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old^(H) when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,^(I) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷ And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”^(J)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(A) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[a](B) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(C)—since he was about a hundred years old^(D)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(E) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(F) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(G) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^(H)

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”^(A)

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(B) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.^(C)

¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[a](A) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(B) to the dead and calls^(C) into being things that were not.^(D)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(E) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[b](F) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(G)—since he was about a hundred years old^(H)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(I) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(J) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(K) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(L) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(M) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(N) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(O) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(P) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(Q) and was raised to life for our justification.^(R)