< Genesis 12 >

1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.
And Yahweh said unto Abram: Come thou on thy way, Out of thy land and out of the place of thy birth and out of the house of thy father, —Unto the land that I will show thee;
2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
That I may make thee into a great nation, And bless thee and make great thy name, And become thou a blessing;
3 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.”
That I may bless them who bless thee, But him who maketh light of thee, will I curse, —So shall be, blessed in thee, all the families of the ground.
4 So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
And Abram came on his way, according to that which Yahweh had spoken unto him, and Lot came with him, —now, Abram, was seventy-five years old, when he came forth out of Haran.
5 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.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, with all the goods that they had gathered and the souls that they had gained in Haran, —and they came forth to go towards the land of Canaan, and came in to the land of Canaan.
6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.
And Abram passed along throughout the land, as far as the place of Shechem as far as the Teacher’s Terebinth, the Canaanite being then in the land.
7 Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.
And Yahweh appeared unto Abram, and said: To thy seed, will I give this land, —And he built there an altar, unto Yahweh who appeared unto him.
8 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 Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name.
And he moved on from thence towards the hill country, on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, —with Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east, and built there an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh.
9 Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.
Thus Abram brake up, again and again, towards the South.
10 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.
And it came to pass that there was a famine, in the land, —so Abram went down towards Egypt, to sojourn there, because grievous, was the famine in the land.
11 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.
And it came to pass when he had come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife: Behold! I beseech thee I know that a woman fair to look on, thou art:
12 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.
so will it come to pass when the Egyptians behold thee, that they will say, His wife, this! and will slay me while thee, they preserve alive.
13 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.”
Say, I beseech thee that my sister, art thou, —to the end it may be well with me for thy sake, so shall my soul be preserved alive because of thee.
14 When Abram had come into Egypt, Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
And so it was when Abram entered into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman, that fair, was she exceedingly.
15 The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
And the princes of Pharaoh beheld her, and praised her unto Pharaoh, —so the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh;
16 He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
and with Abram, dealt he well for her sake, —so that he came to have flocks and herds and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses and camels.
17 Yahweh afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
And Yahweh plagued Pharaoh with great plagues, also his house, —for the matter of Sarai, wife of Abram.
18 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?
And Pharaoh called out to Abram, and said, What is this thou hast done to me? Wherefore didst thou not tell me, that she was, thy wife?
19 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.”
Wherefore saidst thou My sister, she; and so I was about to take her to me, to wife? But now, lo! thy wife take her and go thy way.
20 Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.
And Pharaoh gave command concerning him unto certain men, —and sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.

< Genesis 12 >