There was a time when Abraham made his way from there into the southern country, first settling down between Cades and Sur, then living as a wanderer in Gerara.

And of his wife Sara he gave out, She is my sister; whereupon Abimelech, king of Gerara, sent and took her for himself.

But God visited Abimelech in a dream by night, and told him, Thy life is forfeit, on account of this woman thou hast taken for thyself; she is wedded to a husband.

Abimelech, as yet, had had no intercourse with her. What, Lord, he said, must a nation perish that has done no wrong, except through ignorance?

Did he not tell me himself, She is my sister? And she, did not she herself claim him as her brother? My conscience has been clear, my actions honourable, in all I have done.

And God said to him, I know that thou hast acted with a clear conscience; that is why I preserved thee from sinning against me, and would not let thee have intercourse with her.

But now thou must give her back to her husband; he is a prophet, and will intercede for thy life; if thou dost not restore her, I give thee good warning, thou and thine must perish.

So Abimelech rose up at once before dawn of day, and summoned the whole company of his servants to let them hear all this; whereupon they were all overcome with terror.

Then Abimelech sent for Abraham too, and asked him, What is this trick thou hast played on us? What wrong have we done thee, that thou shouldst involve me and my kingdom in such guilt? Thou hast treated us amiss.

And still he plied him with reproaches; What was in thy mind, that thou shouldst act thus?

I thought to myself, answered Abraham, This may be a place where they have no fear of God, and then they will kill me on my wife’s account.

Besides, she is indeed my sister, on the father’s side but not on the mother’s, though she is none the less my wedded wife.✻

When God bade me leave my father’s house and go on my travels, I said to her, Do me this kindness; give it out, wherever we go, that I am thy brother.✻

So Abimelech made Abraham a present, of sheep and oxen, of men and maid servants, and gave his wife Sara back to him.

Here is my land, he said, at your disposal, dwell where thou wilt.

And to Sara he added, See, I am giving this brother of thine a thousand silver pieces; such amends will enable thee to look the world in the face, wherever thou goest;✻ only, do not forget that thy pretence was discovered.

And now, at Abraham’s intercession, God restored health to Abimelech, to his wife and to his servant women;

up to now, on account of Abraham’s wife Sara, the Lord had made all Abimelech’s household barren.