Confrontation, Restoration, and Healing: God Vindicates and Restores

⁸ Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.

⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”

¹⁰ Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”

¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’

¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.

¹³ So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.

¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”

¹⁶ And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—

¹⁸ for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.