The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

(Genesis 26:1–5; Acts 7:1–8)

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.(a)

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 bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.(b)”

So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

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,

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak (c) of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.(d)” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

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.

And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

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.

As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,

and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

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.”

So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.

He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai.

So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

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!”

Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.

Footnotes

(a)12:1 Cited in Acts 7:3

(b)12:3 See Galatians 3:8

(d)12:7 Cited in Galatians 3:16

(Genesis 26:1–5; Acts 7:1–8)

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.

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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

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.

Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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

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

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

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

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?

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.”

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

Footnotes

(a)12:7 or, seed