Genesis 12
1 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.
The Lord told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, your family home, and travel to the country I'm going to show you.
2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will make you the ancestor of a great nation and I will bless you. I will make sure you have a great reputation and that you are a blessing to others.
3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
I will bless those who bless you; I will curse those who curse you. Everyone on earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
So Abram left following the Lord's instructions, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 when he left Haran.
5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
With him went his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, together with all the possessions they had collected and the people that had joined them in Harran. They left for the land of Canaan. When they arrived there,
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.
Abram traveled on through the country as far as a place called Shechem, stopping at the oak tree of Moreh. At that time the country was occupied by Canaanites.
7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I'm going to give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar to the Lord there because that was where the Lord appeared to him.
8 From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD.
Then he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and set up camp there. Bethel was to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar to the Lord there and worshiped him.
9 And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.
After that he went on his way, heading towards the Negev.
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
But the land had been hit by famine. So Abram continued on to Egypt, planning to live there because the famine was so bad.
11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
As he approached Egypt and was about to cross the border, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.
12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, ‘She's his wife,’ and they'll kill me but not you!
13 Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
Tell them you're my sister so I'll be treated well because of you, and my life will be spared for your sake.”
14 So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
When Abram arrived in Egypt, the people there saw how beautiful Sarai was.
15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
Pharaoh's officials also noticed and spoke positively about her to Pharaoh. So Sarai was taken to his palace to become one of his wives.
16 He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her, giving him sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
But the Lord caused Pharaoh and the people in his palace to suffer from terrible diseases because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
So Pharaoh ordered Abram brought to him and said, “What have you 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 as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”
Why did you say, ‘She's my sister,’ and let me take her to become one of my wives? So here's your wife! Take her and leave!”
20 Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.
Pharaoh ordered his guards to expel him and his wife from the country, along with everyone with them and all their possessions.
