God Saves and Uses Messed-Up People (Genesis 20)

1. Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev region and settled between Kadesh and Shur.
   While he lived as a temporary resident in Gerar, ²Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”
   So Abi-melech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
3. But God appeared to Abi-melech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”
4. Now Abi-melech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?
5. Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”
6. Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.
7. But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”
    
8. Early in the morning Abi-melech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified.
9. Abi-melech 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?
   You have done things to me that should not be done!”
    
10. Then Abi-melech asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?”
11. Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’
12. What’s more, she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife.
13. When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her,
    ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
     
14. So Abi-melech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.
15. Then Abi-melech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.”
16. To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your ‘brother.’ This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”
17. Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abi-melech, as well as his wife and female servants so that they were able to have children.
18. For the LORD had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abi-melech because he took Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

based on NET Bible

36. One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.
37. And behold, a woman of the town, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,
38. and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
39. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
40. And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41. “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
43. Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
44. Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
46. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—and so she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

ESV