Genesis 12

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The LORD said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.	1 Then the Lord said to Abram: “Depart from your land, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, and come into the land that I will show you.
2 "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.	2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and magnify your name, and you will be blessed.
3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you."	3 I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
4 Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.	4 And so Abram departed just as the Lord had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5 Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother's son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,	5 And he took his wife Sarai, and Lot, the son of his brother, and all the substance which they had come to possess, and the lives which they had acquired in Haran, and they departed in order to go to the land of Canaan. And when they arrived in it,
6 Abram passed through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, by the terebinth of Moreh. (The Canaanites were then in the land.)	6 Abram passed through the land even to the place of Shechem, as far as the famous steep valley. Now at that time, the Canaanite was in the land.
7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.	7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and he said to him, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.	8 And passing on from there to a mountain, which was opposite the east of Bethel, he pitched his tent there, having Bethel to the west, and Hai on the east. He also built an altar there to the Lord, and he called upon his name.
9 Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.	9 And Abram traveled, going out and continuing further on, toward the south.
10 There was famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, since the famine in the land was severe.	10 But a famine occurred in the land. And Abram descended to Egypt, to sojourn there. For famine prevailed over the land.
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: "I know well how beautiful a woman you are.	11 And when he was close to entering Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: “I know you to be a beautiful woman.
12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife'; then they will kill me, but let you live.	12 And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ And they will put me to death, and retain you.
13 Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life may be spared for your sake."	13 Therefore, I beg you to say that you are my sister, so that it may be well with me because of you, and so that my soul may live by your favor.”
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful the woman was; and when Pharaoh's courtiers saw her,	14 And so, when Abram had arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was exceedingly beautiful.
15 they praised her to Pharaoh. So she was taken into Pharaoh's palace.	15 And the princes reported it to Pharaoh, and they praised her to him. And the woman was inducted into the house of Pharaoh.
16 On her account it went very well with Abram, and he received flocks and herds, male and female slaves, male and female asses, and camels.	16 In truth, they treated Abram well because of her. And he had sheep and oxen and male donkeys, and men servants, and women servants, and female donkeys, and camels.
17 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai.	17 But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his house with great wounds because of Sarai, the wife of Abram.
18 Then Pharaoh summoned Abram and said to him: "How could you do this to me! Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?	18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and he said to him: “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was your wife?
19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Here, then, is your wife. Take her and be gone!"	19 For what reason did you claim her to be your sister, so that I would take her to me as a wife? Now therefore, behold your mate, receive her and go.”
20 Then Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and all that belonged to him.	20 And Pharaoh instructed his men about Abram. And they led him away with his wife and all that he had.