Genesis, 12

1. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

1. Yahweh said to Abram, "Leave your country, your family and your father's house, for the land I will show you.

2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

2. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

3. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse, and in you all peoples of the earth will be blessed."

4. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

4. So Abram went as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

5. Abram took Sarai, his wife, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set out for the land of Canaan. They arrived at Canaan.

6. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.

6. Abram traveled through the country as far as Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

7. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

7. Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." There he built an altar to Yahweh who had appeared to him.

8. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

8. From there he went on to the mountains east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There also he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh.

9. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

9. Then Abram set out in the direction of Negeb.

10. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.

10. There was famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for some time, for the famine was severe in the land.

11. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon:

11. Just as he was about to enter Egypt he said to Sarai, his wife, "Now I know you are a beautiful woman.

12. Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

12. When the Egyptians see you they will say: 'That is his wife!' They will then kill me, but they will let you live.

13. Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

13. Say that you are my sister, so that they treat me well on account of you and my life be spared because of you."

14. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair.

14. In fact, when Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

15. Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh. The woman was taken into Pharaoh's house

16. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

16. and because of her he dealt well with Abram; he received sheep, cattle, donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-asses and camels.

17. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

17. But Yahweh inflicted severe plagues on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai.

18. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife?

18. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, "What have you done to me?

19. Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go thy way.

19. Why did you say: 'She's my sister,' so that I took her for my wife. Now, here is your wife! Take her and go!"

20. And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

20. And Pharaoh gave orders to his men regarding Abram, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and all that was his.