Genesis 12

The Call of Abram

1The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.#12:7 Hebrew seed.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

10At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 11As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

14And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. 15When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” 20Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

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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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