Genesis 12

Promises to Abram

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family And from your fathers house, To a land that I will show you.2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your descendants I will give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.8 And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.9 So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

Abram in Egypt

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaohs house.16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abrams wife.18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this 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? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.

GENESIS 12

The [Lord] Chooses Abram

1  t The [Lord] said to Abram:
Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.

3 t I will bless those who bless you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.t

4-5 Abram was 75 years old when the [Lord] told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had acquired while in Haran.
When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time,

7 t but the [Lord] appeared to Abram and promised, “I will give this land to your family forever.” Abram then built an altar there for the [Lord].
8 Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel and camped between Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and worshiped the [Lord].

9 Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.

Abram in Egypt

13 t Please save my life by saying you are my sister.”
14 As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was. 15 The king'st officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house.

16 The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.
17 Because of Sarai, the [Lord] struck the king and everyone in his palace with terrible diseases. 18 Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, “What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?

19 Why did you make me believe she was your sister? Now I've married her. Take her and go! She's your wife.”
20 So the king told his men to let Abram and Sarai take their possessions and leave.