Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ¹  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ² 

biblegateway Gen 20:4

Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless?

Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, "Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent?

Abimelech hadn’t come near her, so he asked, "Lord, will you destroy a nation even if it’s innocent?

biblegateway Gen 20:4

Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?

Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people?

bibleoremus Gen 20:4

Now Abimelech had not approached her; so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent people?

Abimelech, who had not gone near her, protested, “Lord, will you destroy people who are innocent?

biblegateway Gen 20:4

But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also?

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

biblegateway Gen 20:4

Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ¹  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ² 

¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

² tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.