| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, | 1Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident in Gerar, |
| 2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. | 2Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. |
| 3One 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.” | 3But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else's wife." |
| 4Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? | 4Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, "Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation? |
| 5Didn’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.” | 5Did Abraham not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!" |
| 6Then 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. | 6Then in the dream God replied to him, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her. |
| 7Now 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.” | 7But now give back the man's wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don't give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you." |
| 8Early 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. | 8Early in the morning Abimelech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified. |
| 9Then 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.” | 9Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!" |
| 10Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?” | 10Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What prompted you to do this thing?" |
| 11Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ | 11Abraham replied, "Because I thought, 'Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' |
| 12Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. | 12What's more, she is indeed my sister, my father's daughter, but not my mother's daughter. She became my wife. |
| 13So 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.” ’ ” | 13When God made me wander from my father's house, I told her, 'This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, "He is my brother."'" |
| 14So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. | 14So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. |
| 15And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.” | 15Then Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please." |
| 16And 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.” | 16To Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your 'brother.' This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you." |
| 17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children— | 17Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. |
| 18for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household. | 18For the LORD had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife. |
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