Now YAHWEH said to Abram,
“Leave it all behind—
your native land,
your people,
your father’s household,
and go to the land that I will show you.
Follow me,
and I will make you into a great nation.
I will exceedingly bless and prosper you,
and I will make you famous,
so that you will be a tremendous source of blessing for others.
I will bless all who bless you
and curse all who curse you.
And through you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
So Abram obeyed YAHWEH and left; and Lot went with him.
Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran after his father died. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people he had acquired in Haran; and they departed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land and stopped at the sacred site of Shechem, famous for the great oak tree of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites were also in the land.
Then YAHWEH appeared before Abram and said, “This is the land I will personally deliver to your seed.” So Abram erected an altar there to YAHWEH, who had appeared before him. From there, he journeyed on toward the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built another altar to YAHWEH where he prayed and worshiped YAHWEH. Then Abram journeyed from there by stages through the southern desert region.
At that time, a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to travel down to Egypt and live there as a foreigner. When he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I’m worried because I know that you are a beautiful, gorgeous woman. When the Egyptian men take one look at you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ Then they will kill me in order to have you. Just tell them you are my sister so that they will treat me well for your sake and spare my life.”
When Abram entered Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s stunning beauty. When Pharaoh’s dignitaries spotted her, they went to Pharaoh and raved about her beauty. Then they took Sarai into the palace and made her part of Pharaoh’s harem. Because she pleased Pharaoh, Abram got along very well in Egypt and received royal treatment: he was given sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, camels, and male and female slaves.
But YAHWEH struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible diseases because he had taken Abram’s wife, Sarai. So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “How could you do this to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? And why did you lie to me by saying, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here’s your wife back; take her and begone!” Then Pharaoh gave strict orders to his men to escort them out of Egypt along with everything they had.
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