12
1 Now
the LORD said
to Abram, “Leave your country,
and your relatives,
and your father’s
house, and go
to the land that
I will show
you.
2 I
will make of
you a great
nation. I will
bless you and
make your name
great. You will
be a blessing.
3 I
will bless those
who bless you,
and I will
curse him
who treats you
with contempt. All
the families of
the earth will be
blessed through
you.”
4 So Abram
went, as the
LORD had told
him. Lot went
with him. Abram
was seventy-five
years old when
he departed from
Haran.
5 Abram took
Sarai his wife,
Lot his brother’s
son, all their
possessions that
they had gathered,
and the people whom
they had acquired
in Haran, and
they went to
go into the land
of Canaan. They
entered into
the land of Canaan.
6 Abram passed
through the land
to the place
of Shechem, to
the oak of Moreh.
At that time,
Canaanites were in
the land.
7 The
LORD appeared
to Abram and said, “I
will give this land
to your
offspring.”
He built an
altar there to
the LORD, who
had appeared to
him.
8 He
left from there
to go to
the mountain on
the east of
Bethel and pitched
his tent, having Bethel
on the west,
and Ai on
the east. There
he built an
altar to the
LORD
and called on
the LORD’s name.
9 Abram
traveled, still
going on toward
the South.
10 There
was a famine
in the land. Abram
went down into
Egypt to live
as a foreigner
there, for the
famine was severe
in the land.
11 When
he had come
near to enter
Egypt, he said to
Sarai his wife, “See
now, I know
that you are
a beautiful woman
to look at.
12 It
will happen that
when the Egyptians
see you, they
will say, ‘This is
his wife.’ They
will kill me,
but they will
save you alive.
13 Please say
that you are
my sister, that it
may be well
with me for
your sake, and
that my soul
may live because
of you.”
14 When Abram
had come into
Egypt, some Egyptians
saw that the woman
was very beautiful.
15 The
princes of Pharaoh
saw her, and
praised her to
Pharaoh; and the
woman was taken
into Pharaoh’s
house.
16 He dealt
well with Abram
for her sake.
He had sheep,
cattle, male
donkeys, male
servants, female
servants, female
donkeys, and
camels.
17 The
LORD afflicted
Pharaoh and his
house with great
plagues because of
Sarai, Abram’s wife.
18 Pharaoh
called Abram and
said, “What is
this that you
have done to
me? Why didn’t you
tell me that
she was your wife?
19 Why
did you say, ‘She
is my sister,’ so
that I took
her to be
my wife? Now
therefore, see
your wife, take
her, and go
your way.”
20 Pharaoh
commanded men
concerning him,
and they escorted
him away with
his wife and all
that he had.