Abraham and Abimelek
1Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
3But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
4Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
8Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”
11Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
14Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”
16To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels20:16 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
Abrahamu Na Abimeleki
120:1 Mwa 18:1; 12:9; 14:7; 16:7; 26:3Basi Abrahamu akaendelea mbele kutoka huko hadi nchi ya Negebu na akaishi kati ya Kadeshi na Shuri. Kwa muda mfupi alikaa Gerari kama mgeni, 220:2 Mwa 12:13, 15; 26:1huko Abrahamu akasema kuhusu Sara mkewe, “Huyu ni dada yangu.” Kisha Abimeleki mfalme wa Gerari akatuma Sara aletwe, naye akamchukua.
320:3 Hes 12:6; 22:9, 20; Mwa 26:11; 28:12; 31:10, 24; 37:5-9; 40:5; 41:1; Kum 13:1; Kut 10:7; 12:33; Ay 33:15; Dan 2:1; 4:5; 1Nya 16:21; Za 105:14, 28Lakini Mungu akamjia Abimeleki katika ndoto wakati wa usiku na kumwambia, “Wewe ni kama mfu kwa sababu ya huyu mwanamke uliyemchukua; yeye ni mke wa mtu.”
420:4 Mwa 18:25Wakati huo Abimeleki alikuwa bado hajamsogelea, kwa hiyo akasema, “Je, Bwana utaliharibu taifa lisilo na hatia? 520:5 Mwa 12:19; 17:1; Za 7:8; 25:21; 26:6; 41:12Hakusema kwangu, ‘Huyu ni dada yangu,’ naye Sara pia hakusema, ‘Huyu ni kaka yangu’? Nimefanya haya kwa dhamiri njema na mikono safi.”
620:6 1Sam 25:26, 34; Mwa 13:13; Za 41:4; 51:4Kisha Mungu akamwambia katika ndoto, “Ndiyo, najua ya kwamba umefanya haya kwa dhamiri safi, kwa hiyo nimekuzuia usinitende dhambi. Ndiyo sababu sikukuacha umguse. 720:7 Kum 18:18; 34:10; 2Fal 3:11; 5:3; 1Nya 16:22; Za 105:15; Kut 8:8; Hes 11:2; 12:13; 1Sam 7:5; 1Fal 13:6; Ay 42:8; Yer 18:20; 37:3; 42:2; Za 9:5Sasa umrudishe huyo mke wa mtu, kwa maana ni nabii, naye atakuombea nawe utaishi. Lakini kama hutamrudisha, ujue kwa hakika kuwa wewe na watu wako wote mtakufa.”
8Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema Abimeleki akawaita maafisa wake wote, na baada ya kuwaambia yote yaliyotokea, waliogopa sana. 920:9 Mwa 12:18; 34:7Kisha Abimeleki akamwita Abrahamu na kumwambia, “Wewe umetufanyia nini? Nimekukosea nini hata ukaleta hatia kubwa namna hii juu yangu na ufalme wangu? Umenifanyia mambo ambayo hayakupasa kufanyika.” 10Abimeleki akamuuliza Abrahamu, “Ulikuwa na kusudi gani kufanya hivi?”
1120:11 Mwa 12:12; 31:31; 42:18; Neh 5:15; Ay 31:23; Za 36:1; Mit 16:6Abrahamu akajibu, “Niliwaza kwamba, ‘Hakika hakuna hofu ya Mungu mahali hapa, nao wataniua kwa sababu ya mke wangu.’ 1220:12 Mwa 12:13Pamoja na hayo, ni kweli kwamba yeye ni dada yangu, binti wa baba yangu ingawa si mtoto wa mama yangu; basi akawa mke wangu. 1320:13 Kum 26:5; 1Nya 16:20; Isa 30:28; 63:17; Mwa 12:1Wakati Bwana aliponifanya nisafiri mbali na nyumbani mwa baba yangu, nilimwambia, ‘Hivi ndivyo utakavyoonyesha pendo lako kwangu: Kila mahali tutakapokwenda, kuhusu mimi sema, “Huyu ni kaka yangu.” ’ ”
1420:14 Mwa 12:16Kisha Abimeleki akatwaa kondoo na ngʼombe, na watumwa wa kiume na wa kike akampa Abrahamu, akamrudisha Sara kwa mumewe. 1520:15 Mwa 13:9; 45:18Abimeleki akasema, “Nchi yangu iko mbele yako, ishi popote unapotaka.”
16Akamwambia Sara, “Ninampa kaka yako shekeli elfu moja za fedha. Hii ni kufidia kosa lililofanyika dhidi yako mbele ya wote walio pamoja nawe; haki yako imethibitishwa kabisa.”
1720:17 Ay 42:9Kisha Abrahamu akamwomba Mungu, naye Mungu akamponya Abimeleki, mke wake, na watumwa wake wa kike kwamba waweze kupata watoto tena, 1820:18 Mwa 12:17kwa kuwa Bwana alikuwa ameyafunga matumbo ya wote katika nyumba ya Abimeleki kwa sababu ya Sara, mke wa Abrahamu.
