Genesis 12
12
God Chooses Abram
1The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.
2“I will make you into a great nation.
And I will bless you.
I will make your name great.
You will be a blessing to others.
3I will bless those who bless you.
I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you.
All nations on earth
will be blessed because of you.”
4So Abram went, just as the Lord had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Harran. 5He took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all the people and possessions they had acquired in Harran. They started out for the land of Canaan. And they arrived there.
6Abram traveled through the land. He went as far as the large tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were living in the land. 7The Lord appeared to Abram at Shechem. He said, “I will give this land to your family who comes after you.” So Abram built an altar there to honor the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8From there, Abram went on toward the hills east of Bethel. He set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. Abram built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord.
9Then Abram left and continued south toward the Negev Desert.
Abram Goes to Egypt
10At that time there was not enough food in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while. 11As he was about to enter Egypt, he spoke to his wife Sarai. He said, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12The people of Egypt will see you and say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me. But they will let you live. 13Tell them you are my sister. Then I’ll be treated well and my life will be spared because of you.”
14Abram arrived in Egypt. The Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they told Pharaoh how beautiful she was. So she was taken into his palace. 16Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her. So Abram gained more sheep and cattle and male and female donkeys. He also gained more male and female servants and some camels.
17But the Lord sent terrible sicknesses on Pharaoh and everyone in his palace. The Lord did it because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18So Pharaoh sent for Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say she was your sister? That’s why I took her to be my wife. Now then, here’s your wife. Take her and go!” 20Then Pharaoh gave orders to his men about Abram. They sent him on his way. So he left with his wife and everything he had.
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Genesis 12
12
1 NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you. [Heb. 11:8-10.]
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].
3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. [Gal. 3:8.]
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
5 Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the persons [servants] that they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
6 Abram passed through the land to the locality of Shechem, to the oak or terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your posterity. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.
8 From there he pulled up [his tent pegs] and departed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
9 Abram journeyed on, still going toward the South (the Negeb).
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive (intense and grievous).
11 And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold.
12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
13 Say, I beg of you, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.
14 And when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house [harem].
16 And he treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and camels.
17 But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his household with serious plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not 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 then, here is your wife; take her and get away [from here]!
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they brought him on his way with his wife and all that he had.
1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation