Genesis
Summary
Genesis 12 marks God's call to Abram to leave his country for a land God would show him, promising to make him into a great nation and bless all people through him. Abram travels to Canaan and builds altars there. When a severe famine strikes, Abram goes to Egypt and, out of fear, tells Pharaoh his wife Sarai is his sister, leading to plagues on Pharaoh's house until the truth is discovered and they are sent away.
The LORD had said to Abram, "Go forth for yourself (Lech lecha) from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name (Shem) great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the ground (Adama) shall be blessed."
So Abram went forth, as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Harran.
Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; and they entered the land of Canaan.
Abram traveled through the land as far as the place of Shechem, to the great tree of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your seed I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
Then Abram journeyed, going on and on toward the Negev.
Now there was a famine in the land, and 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, "Behold now, I know that you are a woman fair of appearance.
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live.
Say you are my sister, so that it will go well with me for your sake and my soul will live because of you."
When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very fair.
When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with serious plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai.
So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, "What is this you have 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 to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!"
Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.