12TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s First Promise to Abram

1 The Lord said to Abram, 

“Leave your land, 

your relatives, 

and your father’s home. 

Go to the land that I will show you. 

2  I will make you a great nation, 

I will bless you. 

I will make your name great, 

and you will be a blessing. 

3  I will bless those who bless you, 

and whoever curses you, I will curse. 

Through you every family on earth will be blessed.” 

The Lord’s Second Promise to Abram

4 So Abram left, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. 5 Abram set out for Canaan. He took along his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the servants they had acquired in Haran. 

6 They arrived in Canaan, and Abram traveled through the land to the oak tree belonging to Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 

8 He moved on to the hills east of Bethel, and he put up his tent—with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He also built an altar to the Lord there and worshiped the Lord. 9 Abram kept moving toward the Negev. 

Abram Deceives Pharaoh

10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, “I know that you’re a beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they’ll say, ‘This is his wife!’ Then they’ll kill me but let you live. 13 Please say that you’re my sister. Then everything will be alright for me, and because of you I will live.” 

14 When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful his wife was. 15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they raved about her to Pharaoh, so Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s palace. 16 Everything went well for Abram because of her, and he was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. 

17 However, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 Then Pharaoh called for Abram. “What have you done to me?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ and allow me to take her for my wife? Here’s your wife! Take her and go!” 20 Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything that he had.