Genesis 12

¹ Now the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.

² I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

⁵ Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan.

⁶ Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.

⁷ The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

⁸ He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the LORD’s name.

⁹ Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

¹¹ When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

¹² It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

¹³ Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

¹⁴ When Abram had come into Egypt, some Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

¹⁵ The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

¹⁶ He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

¹⁷ The LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

¹⁸ Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”

²⁰ Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.

¹ AAnd the Lord said to Abram: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father’s house, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed.

³ I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and IN THEE shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

⁴ So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him: Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran.

⁵ And he took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all the substance which they had gathered, and the souls which they had gotten in Haran: and they went out to go into the land of Chanaan. And when they were come into it,

⁶ Abram passed through the country unto the place of Sichem, as far as the noble vale: now the Chanaanite was at that time in the land.

⁷ And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him: To thy seed will I give this land. And he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

⁸ And passing on from thence to a mountain, that was on the east side of Bethel, he there pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: he built there also an altar to the Lord, and called upon his name.

⁹ And Abram went forward, going and proceeding on to the south.

¹⁰ And there came a famine in the country: and Abram went down into Egypt, to sojourn there: for the famine was very grievous in the land.

¹¹ And when he was near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: I know that thou art a beautiful woman:

¹² And that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee.

¹³ Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.

¹⁴ And when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman that she was very beautiful.

¹⁵ And the princes told Pharao, and praised her before him: and the woman was taken into the house of Pharao.

¹⁶ And they used Abram well for her sake. And he had sheep and oxen and he asses, and men servants, and maid servants, and she asses, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord scourged Pharao and his house with most grievous stripes for Sarai, Abram’s wife.

¹⁸ And Pharao called Abram, and said to him: What is this that thou hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

¹⁹ For what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that I might take her to my wife? Now therefore there is thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

²⁰ And Pharao gave his men orders concerning Abram: and they led him away and his wife, and all that he had.