New Living Translation

New King James Version

The Call of Abram

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.

1

Promises to Abram

Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.

2

I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

2

I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.

3

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.”

3

I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4

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

4

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

5

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,

5

Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the [a]people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

6

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.

6

Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as [b]the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

7

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.a” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

7

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your [c]descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

8

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.

8

And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he 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.

9

Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

9

So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the [d]South.

10

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.

10

Abram in Egypt

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11

As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.

11

And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.

12

When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’

12

Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13

So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

13

Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that [e]I may live because of you.”

14

And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty.

14

So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

15

When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace.

15

The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.

16

Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her — sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

16

He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17

But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

17

But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

18

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?

18

And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

19

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!”

19

Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.”

20

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.

20

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

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Genesis 12

Genesis 12