Genesis 20:1-18
Abraham and Abimelech
20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident in Gerar,
20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?
20:5 Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.
20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning Abimelech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified.
20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!”
20:10 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?”
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’
20:12 What’s more, she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife.
20:13 When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.
20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.”
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your ‘brother.’ This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.
20:18 For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 1:19
1:19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.
Genesis 4:16
4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the
Lord and lived in the land of Nod,
east of Eden.
Isaiah 43:13
43:13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
Romans 15:18-19
15:18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience
of the Gentiles, by word and deed,
15:19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:2
15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.
Colossians 1:4-5
1:4 since
we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.
1:5 Your faith and love have arisen
from the hope laid up
for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel
Galatians 2:8
2:8 (for he who empowered
Peter for his apostleship
to the circumcised
also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles)
Colossians 1:29
1:29 Toward this goal
I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully
works in me.
Colossians 1:1
Salutation
1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
Colossians 2:13
2:13 And even though you were dead in your
transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless
made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.
Hebrews 13:21
13:21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us
what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever.
Amen.