Genesis

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

1Abraham moved south. He lived between two places called Kadesh and Shur. Then he stayed for a while in a town called Gerar.

2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

2Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent men to bring Sarah to him.

3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

3But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream. God said, "You are as good as dead. The woman you took is another man's wife."

NoteThe old English says, "thou art but a dead man." It does not mean he was already dead. It means he would die unless he fixed things.

4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

4Abimelech had not gone near her yet. He said, "Lord, will you kill a whole nation that did nothing wrong?"

5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

5"Didn't Abraham tell me she was his sister? She said he was her brother. My heart was honest. My hands did nothing wrong."

6And God said unto 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 suffered I thee not to touch her.

6God said in the dream, "Yes, I know your heart was honest. That is why I kept you from sinning against me. I did not let you touch her."

NoteThe old English says God "suffered thee not" to touch her. Here "suffer" means allow. God did not let him.

7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

7"Now give the man his wife back. He is a prophet, someone who speaks for God. He will pray for you, and you will live. If you do not give her back, you and all your people will surely die."

8Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

8Early the next morning Abimelech called all his servants. He told them everything that had happened. The men were very afraid.

9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

9Then Abimelech called Abraham in. He said, "What have you done to us? What wrong did I do to you? You brought a terrible sin on me and my kingdom. You did something to me that should never be done."

10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

10Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What were you thinking when you did this?"

11And 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.

11Abraham said, "I thought nobody in this place respects God. I thought they would kill me so they could take my wife."

12And 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.

12"Besides, she really is my sister. We have the same father, but not the same mother. And she became my wife."

13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

13"God sent me away from my father's house to wander. I asked Sarah to be kind to me. I said, 'Everywhere we go, tell people I am your brother.'"

14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

14So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, and servants, both men and women. He gave them to Abraham. He also gave Sarah back to him.

15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

15Abimelech said, "Look, this is my land. Live anywhere you like."

16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

16To Sarah he said, "I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This shows everyone that you did nothing wrong. No one can blame you now."

NoteThe old English calls the silver "a covering of the eyes." That was a way of saying the gift proved Sarah had done nothing wrong.

17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

17Then Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his women servants. They could have babies again.

18For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

18The LORD had stopped every woman in Abimelech's house from having babies. He did this because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.