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The Obedience of Abram

12:4 So Abram left,14 just as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now15 Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.16 12:5 And Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew,17 and all the possessions that they had acquired,18 and the people they had gathered19 in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. And they entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram crossed over20 into the land as far as the place of the oak tree of Moreh21 at Shechem.22 Now the Canaanite at that time was in the land.23 12:7 But the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed24 I will give this land.” And so Abram25 built there an altar to the LORD who appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with26 Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built27 an altar to the LORD, and made proclamation in the name of the LORD.28 12:9 And so Abram continually journeyed by stages29 down to the Negev.30

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 When31 there was a famine in the land, Abram went down to Egypt32 to stay for a while33 because the famine was severe.34 12:11 As35 he drew near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Look,36 I know that you are a very beautiful woman.37 12:12 When38 the Egyptians see you they will say, `This is his wife,’ and they will slay me but keep you alive.39 12:13 So tell them40 you are my sister,41 in order that42 it may go well for me on your account and my life will be spared43 because of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.44 12:15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh; so his wife45 was taken46 into the household of Pharaoh.47 12:16 And he did treat Abram well48 on her account: Abram received49 sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

12:17 But the LORD inflicted a number of debilitating diseases50 on Pharaoh and his household over the matter of Sarai, the wife of Abram. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned51 Abram, and he said, “What is this52 you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, `She is my sister,’ so that I took her53 to be my wife?54 Here55 is your wife. Take her and go.”56 12:20 And Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, and so they expelled him with his wife and everything he had.

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