Genesis 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.

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Genesis 12

Abram Journeys to Egypt

1Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you;

2And I will make you into a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing;

3And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who #12:3 Or revilescurses you I will #12:3 Or bind under a cursecurse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

4So Abram went away as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the #12:5 Lit soulspeople which they had acquired in Haran, and they #12:5 Lit went forth to go toset out for the land of Canaan; so they came to the land of Canaan. 6Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the #12:6 Or terebinthoak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time. 7And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your #12:7 Lit seeddescendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8Then he proceeded from there 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. 9Then Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the #12:9 I.e., South countryNegev.

10Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a time, because the famine was severe in the land. 11It came about, when he #12:11 Lit came near to enterwas approaching Egypt, that he said to his wife Sarai, “See now, I know that you are a #12:11 Lit woman of beautiful appearancebeautiful woman; 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you, and that #12:13 Lit my soulI may live on account of you.” 14Now it came about, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians #12:14 Lit saw the woman that she wassaw that the woman was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and #12:16 Lit there was to himhe gave him sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18Then 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? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for myself as a wife? Now then, #12:19 Or beholdhere is your wife, take her and go!” 20And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they #12:20 Lit sentescorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.

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