Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 39
19:30–20:8
G enesis
27
Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he
went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. One day
the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in
this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father
will soon be too old to have children. Come, let’s get him drunk with wine,
and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family
line through our father.”
So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went
in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down
or getting up again.
The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had
sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight,
and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” So that night they got him drunk with wine
again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As
before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father.
When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He
became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. When
the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him B
en-ammi. He
became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.
Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh
and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.”
So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him
at his palace.
But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You
are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you
destroy an innocent nation? Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’?
And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence!
My hands are clean.”
In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why
I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.
Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is
a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can
be sure that you and all your people will die.”
Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his
servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were
