Genesis 12:10-20

Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁰ But there was a famine in the land, so Avram went down into Egypt to stay there, because the famine in the land was severe.

¹¹ When he came close to Egypt and was about to enter, he said to Sarai his wife, “Here now, I know that you are a good-looking woman; ¹² so that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife,’ and kill me but keep you alive. ¹³ Please say that you are my sister, so that it will go well with me for your sake, and so that I will stay alive because of you.”

(ii) ¹⁴ When Avram entered Egypt, the Egyptians did notice that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s princes saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. ¹⁶ He treated Avram well for her sake, giving him sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

¹⁷ But Adonai inflicted great plagues on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai Avram’s wife. ¹⁸ Pharaoh called Avram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my own wife? Now therefore, here is your wife! Take her, and go away!” ²⁰ So Pharaoh gave orders concerning him to his men, and they sent him on his way with his wife and everything he had.