God Chooses Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation.

I will bless you.

I will make your name great.

You will be a blessing to others.

3 I will bless those who bless you.

I will put a curse on anyone who calls down a curse on you.

All nations on earth

will be blessed because of you.”

4So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

5He took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all of the things they had gotten in Haran. They also took the workers they had gotten there.

They set out for the land of Canaan. And they arrived there.

6Abram traveled through the land. He went as far as the large tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the people of Canaan were living in the land.

7The Lord appeared to Abram at Shechem. He said, “I will give this land to your children after you.” So Abram built an altar there to honor the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8From there, Abram went on toward the hills east of Bethel. He set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east.

Abram built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. 9Then Abram left and continued toward the Negev Desert.