1: From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2: And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abim'elech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3: But God came to Abim'elech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife."
4: Now Abim'elech had not approached her; so he said, "Lord, wilt thou slay an innocent people?
5: Did he not himself say to me, `She is my sister'? And she herself said, `He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this."
6: Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
7: Now then restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours."
8: So Abim'elech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told them all these things; and the men were very much afraid.
9: Then Abim'elech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done."
10: And Abim'elech said to Abraham, "What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?"
11: Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
12: Besides she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13: And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, `This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.'"
14: Then Abim'elech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah his wife to him.
15: And Abim'elech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you."
16: To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; it is your vindication in the eyes of all who are with you; and before every one you are righted."
17: Then Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abim'elech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.
18: For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abim'elech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.