Genesis 20:1-7

New American Standard Bible 1995

Abraham’s Treachery

20 Now Abraham journeyed from ^(A)there toward the land of ^(B)the ^[a]Negev, and ^[b]settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in ^(C)Gerar. ² Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “^(D)She is my sister.” So ^(E)Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ^3 (F)But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, ^(G)you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is ^[c]married.” ⁴ Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, ^(H)will You slay a nation, even though ^[d]blameless? ⁵ Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she ^(I)herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In ^(J)the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my ^[e]hands I have done this.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also ^[f](K)kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for ^(L)he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”