NLT One Year Bible - Flipbook - Page 35
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While living there as a foreigner, 2Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying , “S he is my sister.” So King
Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and
had her brought to him at his palace.
3But 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!”
4But Abimelech had not slept with
her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5Didn’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.”
6In 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. 7Now 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.”
8 Abimelech got up early the next
morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what
had happened, his men were terrified.
9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham.
“What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this,
making me and my kingdom guilty of
this great sin? No one should ever do
what you have done! 10Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”
11Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This
is a godless place. They will want my
wife and will kill me to get her.’ 12And
she really is my sister, for we both have
the same father, but different mothers.
And I married her. 13 When God called
me to leave my father’s home and to
travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do
me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”
14Then Abimelech took some of his
sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to
Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 Then Abimelech said,
J A N U A R Y
9
“Look over my land and choose any place
where you would like to live.” 16And he
said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your
‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver* in the
presence of all these witnesses. This is to
compensate you for any wrong I may
have done to you. This will settle any
claim against me, and your reputation is
cleared.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and
God healed Abimelech, his wife, and
his female servants, so they could have
children. 18For the Lord had caused all
the women to be infertile because of
what happened with Abraham’s wife,
Sarah.
21:1The Lord kept his word and did for
Sarah exactly what he had promised.
2 She became pregnant, and she gave
birth to a son for Abraham in his old age.
This happened at just the time God had
said it would. 3And Abraham named
their son Isaac. 4Eight days after Isaac
was born, Abraham circumcised him as
God had commanded. 5Abraham was
100 years old when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah declared, “God has
brought me laughter.* All who hear
about this will laugh with me. 7 Who
would have said to Abraham that Sarah
would nurse a baby? Yet I have given
Abraham a son in his old age!”
8When Isaac grew up and was about to
be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge
feast to celebrate the occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham
and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.* 10So she
turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get
rid of that slave woman and her son. He
is not going to share the inheritance with
my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”
11This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12But God
told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the
boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through
whom your descendants will be counted.
13But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is
your son, too.”
