Genesis 12

Abram Journeys to Egypt

1Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram,

“Go away from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you;

2And #These verses (2, 3) give the basic outline of God’s covenant with Abraham.I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you [abundantly],

And make your name great (exalted, distinguished);

And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];

3And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you,

And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you.

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

4So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the [great] terebinth (oak) tree of Moreh. Now the #I.e. the descendants of Ham’s son who was cursed by Noah.Canaanites were in the land at that time. 7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to [honor] the Lord who had appeared to him. 8Then he moved on 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 on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving]. 9Then Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev (the South country of Judah).

10Now there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive and severe. 11And when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Listen: I know that you are #Sarai was about sixty-five years old at this time.a beautiful woman; 12so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live. 13Please tell them that you are #Sarai was Abraham’s half sister. They had the same father, but different mothers (Gen 20:12).my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.” 14And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem). 16Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17But the Lord punished Pharaoh and his household with severe 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 as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!” 20So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him on his way, with his wife and all that he had.

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Genesis 12

God Calls Abram

1The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you.

2I will make you a great nation,

and I will bless you.

I will make you famous,

and you will be a blessing to others.

3I will bless those who bless you,

and I will place a curse on those who harm you.

And all the people on earth

will be blessed through you.”

4So Abram left Haran as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. At this time Abram was 75 years old. 5He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and everything they owned, as well as all the servants they had gotten in Haran. They set out from Haran, planning to go to the land of Canaan, and in time they arrived there.

6Abram traveled through that land as far as the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time. 7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel and set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the Lord and worshiped him. 9After this, he traveled on toward southern Canaan.

Abram Goes to Egypt

10At this time there was not much food in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live because there was so little food. 11Just before they arrived in Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know you are a very beautiful woman. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This woman is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but let you live. 13Tell them you are my sister so that things will go well with me and I may be allowed to live because of you.”

14When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15The Egyptian officers saw her and told the king of Egypt how beautiful she was. They took her to the king’s palace, and 16the king was kind to Abram because he thought Abram was her brother. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17But the Lord sent terrible diseases on the king and all the people in his house because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18So the king sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me Sarai was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’ so that I made her my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and leave!” 20Then the king commanded his men to make Abram leave Egypt; so Abram and his wife left with everything they owned.

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