The
Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your
father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into
a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a
blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat
you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went
with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his
wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the
people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of
Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as
Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area
was inhabited by Canaanites.
Then
the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your
descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to theLord, who
had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the
hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built
another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Then
Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.
At
that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down
to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. As he was approaching the border of
Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill
him; then we can have her!’ So please tell them you are my sister. Then
they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”
And
sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. When
the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and
Sarai was taken into his palace. Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts
because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female
servants, and camels.
But
the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai,
Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you
done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why
did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then,
here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!”
Pharaoh
ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country,
along with his wife and all his possessions.
~ Source : Genesis
12:1-20 [Holy Bible-NLT] from https://www.biblegateway.com
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