¹ Odande Abraham krene u krajeve Negeba i nastani se između Kadeša i Šura. Dok je boravio kao pridošlica u Geraru,

² rekao je Abraham za svoju ženu Saru da mu je sestra. I Abimelek, kralj gerarski, uze Saru sebi.

³ Ali Bog dođe Abimeleku noću u snu te mu reče: "Zbog žene koju si uzeo moraš umrijeti, jer je ona žena udata."

⁴ A nije se Abimelek k njoj približavao. Zato reče: "Gospodine, zar ćeš pravednika pogubiti?

⁵ Zar mi on nije rekao: 'Ona mi je sestra.' A ona mi je sama rekla: 'On je moj brat.' Čiste sam savjesti i neokaljanih ruku ovo učinio."

⁶ Bog mu odvrati u snu: "Znam da si to učinio čiste savjesti; i ja sam te zadržavao da protiv mene ne griješiš; i nisam dopuštao da je dotakneš.

⁷ Sada vrati čovjeku ženu njegovu; prorok je on; molit će se za tebe da ostaneš na životu. Ako je ne vratiš, znaj da ćeš umrijeti, ti i svi tvoji."

⁸ Rano ujutro Abimelek ustane, sazove sve svoje sluge i kaže im sve što je bilo, a ljudi se veoma uplaše.

⁹ Potom Abimelek dozva Abrahama te mu reče: "Što si nam učinio! Čime sam se ja ogriješio prema tebi da izložiš mene i moje kraljevstvo velikoj grehoti? Ponio si se prema meni kako ne valja.

¹⁰ Što si, dakle na umu imao", upita dalje Abimelek, "kad si tako radio?"

¹¹ Abraham uzvrati: "Zbilja sam držao da nema Božjeg straha u ovome mjestu, pa će me ljudi ubiti zbog moje žene.

¹² A onda, ona je uistinu moja sestra: kći je moga oca, iako ne i moje majke, pa je pošla za me.

¹³ A kad me Bog udaljio od doma očeva, rekoh joj: Ovu mi uslugu učini: kamo god dođemo, reci o meni da sam ti brat."

¹⁴ Abimelek uzme ovaca i goveda, sluga i sluškinja pa ih dade Abrahamu; vrati mu i njegovu ženu Saru.

¹⁵ Abimelek zatim reče: "Evo, moja ti je zemlja otvorena. Nastani se gdje ti se svidi!"

¹⁶ A Sari reče: "Evo tisuću srebrnika što ih dajem tvome bratu: neka ti budu koprenom pred očima sviju što su s tobom. Ti si svakako opravdana."

¹⁷ Abraham se pomoli Bogu, i Bog ozdravi Abimeleka, njegovu ženu i njegove sluškinje, tako te opet mogahu rađati.

¹⁸ Jer Jahve bijaše zbog Sare, Abrahamove žene, zatvorio svaku utrobu u domu Abimelekovu.

¹ Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.

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

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the 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 Abimelech had not come near her. He said, "Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?

⁵ Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself, said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this."

⁶ God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her.

⁷ Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don't restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours."

⁸ Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.

⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!"

¹⁰ Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"

¹¹ Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.'

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 It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

¹⁴ Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.

¹⁵ Abimelech 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. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."

¹⁷ Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.

¹⁸ For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.