Pack up and move
1The LORD told Abram, [1] “Leave your country, your father’s family, and your other relatives. Move to a new land I will show you. 2I’m going to make your family into a great nation of families. I’m going to bless your life. And I’m going to make your life a blessing to others. 3I will do good things to people who do good things to you. I will make life miserable for people who make life miserable for you. All the families on the planet will be better off because of you and your family. You are going to make this world a better place.”4Abram, at the age of 75, packed up and left Haran just as the LORD told him to do. Abram took his nephew Lot with him. 5Abram took his wife, Sarai, [2] along with Lot. He also took everything he owned, including his livestock and his servants. They all headed south to Canaan. [3] When they arrived there, 6Abram led his caravan to a place called Shechem, [4] near the center of Canaan. They set up camp beside a landmark terebinth tree [5] called Moreh. Canaanites lived in that area.
7The LORD appeared to Abram in some way and told him, “I’m going to give this land to you and your family.” Abram responded in gratitude by building a stone altar that he dedicated to the LORD. 8Abram broke camp and moved further south. He set up a new camp in the Judean Hills between the cities of Bethel in the west and Ai in the east. He built another stone altar there, and worshiped the LORD. 9Abram broke camp again and traveled further south into the Negev badlands.
Abram's trip to Egypt
10While Abram was there, a drought struck the land. This drought was severe enough that it forced him to migrate to the drought-proof Nile River Valley, where he lived as an immigrant. 11As Abram and his caravan approached the Egyptian border, he said to Sarai, [6] “You’re one good-looking woman. 12When the Egyptians get a look at you, they’ll say, ‘She’s married to that guy.’ Then they’ll kill me and keep you for themselves. 13Tell them you’re my sister. That way they’ll treat me with kindness and respect in the hopes that you’ll start to like them.”14Abram was right. Egyptians eyed Sarai up, down, and sideways. They liked what they saw. 15Some Egyptian officials went to the king, who was known by his title: Pharaoh. They told him he would like her, too. He did. At his request, Sarai moved in with him as the newest wife in his harem. 16Pharaoh liked Sarai so much that he treated Abram with kindness and respect. Pharaoh loaded him up with male and female servants along with a field full of livestock: sheep, cattle, donkeys, and camels.
17The LORD struck Pharaoh and his family with some kind of plagues or diseases—all because Pharaoh had taken Abram’s wife, Sarai. 18Pharaoh called Abram to the palace and clobbered him with accusation. “Are you crazy? Why did you do this to me? Why didn’t you tell me Sarai is your wife? 19Why on earth did you tell me ‘She is my sister,’ and then let me marry her? Take her back, get out of my sight, and get out of my country!” 20Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort the couple out. Abram left Egypt with Sarai and everything he owned.
