Chapter 20

  And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadash and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.  

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  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister: And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.  

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  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, on account of the woman whom thou hast taken: for she is a man's wife.  

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  But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?  

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  Said he not to me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart, and innocence of my hands have I done this.  

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  And God said to him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.  

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  Now therefore restore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou shalt not restore her, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.  

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  Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were greatly afraid.  

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  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What has thou done to us? and in what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds to me that ought not to be done.  

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  And Abimelech said to Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?  

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  And Abraham said, Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.  

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  And yet indeed she is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.  

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  And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show to me; At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.  

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  And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.  

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  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.  

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  And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, to all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.  

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  So Abraham prayed to God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants, and they bore children.  

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  For the LORD had made barren all the females of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.  

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