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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Genesis 12

Abram and Sarai

1 God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.

2-3I’ll make you a great nation

and bless you.

I’ll make you famous;

you’ll be a blessing.

I’ll bless those who bless you;

those who curse you I’ll curse.

All the families of the Earth

will be blessed through you.”

4-6So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.

Abram passed through the country as far as Shechem and the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites occupied the land.

7 God appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your children.” Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.

8He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God.

9Abram kept moving, steadily making his way south, to the Negev.

10-13Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look. We both know that you’re a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they’re going to say, ‘Aha! That’s his wife!’ and kill me. But they’ll let you live. Do me a favor: tell them you’re my sister. Because of you, they’ll welcome me and let me live.”

14-15When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. Pharaoh’s princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh.

16-17Because of her, Abram got along very well: he accumulated sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, men and women servants, and camels. But God hit Pharaoh hard because of Abram’s wife Sarai; everybody in the palace got seriously sick.

18-19Pharaoh called for Abram, “What’s this that you’ve done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ so that I’d take her as my wife? Here’s your wife back—take her and get out!”

20Pharaoh ordered his men to get Abram out of the country. They sent him and his wife and everything he owned on their way.

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