20:3 But God appeared ¹  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ²  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ³ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ⁴  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁵  20:5 Did Abraham ⁶  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ⁷  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ⁸  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. ⁹  That is why I have kept you ¹⁰  from sinning against me and why ¹¹  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ¹²  he is a prophet ¹³  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ¹⁴  But if you don’t give her back, ¹⁵  know that you will surely die ¹⁶  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ¹⁷  Abimelech summoned ¹⁸  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ¹⁹  they ²⁰  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? ²¹  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ²²  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ²³  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ²⁴ 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ²⁵  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ²⁶  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ²⁷  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 ²⁸  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ²⁹  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”