Genesis 12

1The LORD said to Abram: You must leave your land. Go away from it and from your family and the house of your father. I will show you where you must go.

2I will build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people.

3I will bless those who bless you. I will curse those who curse you. I will use you to bless all the people on earth.

4So Abram left Haran just like the LORD said, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.

5Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. He took all the possessions and servants they had gathered in Haran. Then they set out for the land of Canaan.

6Abram walked from one side of the land to the other side. At that time the Canaanite people lived in the land. Abram went to the town of Shechem, to the big tree of Moreh.

7The LORD appeared to Abram. The LORD said: I will give this land to your children and your family. Then Abram built an altar to the LORD there.

8Then Abram left Shechem and traveled to the mountains east of Bethel. Abram set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. Abram built an altar there to worship the LORD.

9Later, Abram took his tents and traveled south, toward the Negev.

10Then there was very little food in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while.

11When they came near Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai: I know you are a beautiful woman.

12When the Egyptians see you, Sarai, they will say: This is his wife. Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13Please say that you are my sister. Then things will go well for me because of you. Because of you, my life will be saved.

14When Abram and Sarai came into the land of Egypt, the people of Egypt saw how beautiful Sarai was.

15Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai. They told Pharaoh how beautiful she was. Sarai was taken into Pharaoh's palace.

16Pharaoh was good to Abram because Pharaoh thought that Sarai was Abram's sister. Pharaoh gave Abram sheep, oxen, donkeys, slaves and camels.

17But the LORD struck Pharaoh and Pharaoh's household with severe sicknesses because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

18Then Pharaoh called Abram. Pharaoh asked: What have you done to me? Why did you not tell me that Sarai is your wife?

19Why did you say: She is my sister? I took her to be my wife. Now here is your wife. Take her and go.

20Pharaoh gave orders to his men about Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything he had.