上帝呼召亞伯蘭

12 耶和華對亞伯蘭說:「你要離開家鄉、親族和父親的家,到我要指示你的地方去。 我必使你成為大國,我必賜福給你,使你聲名遠播。你必成為別人的祝福。 我必賜福給那些祝福你的人,咒詛那些咒詛你的人。世上萬族必因你而蒙福。」

亞伯蘭就照耶和華的吩咐離開哈蘭,侄兒羅得與他同行。那時亞伯蘭七十五歲。 亞伯蘭帶著妻子撒萊、侄兒羅得以及在哈蘭積攢的財物和所得的奴僕啟程來到迦南。到了迦南以後, 亞伯蘭繼續前行,來到示劍的摩利橡樹[a]那裡。當時迦南人住在那地方。 耶和華向亞伯蘭顯現,對他說:「我要把這片土地賜給你的後裔。」亞伯蘭就在那裡為向他顯現的耶和華築了一座壇。 然後,他們又啟程前往伯特利東面的山區,在那裡搭起帳篷。他們的西面是伯特利,東面是艾。亞伯蘭又在那裡築了一座壇,求告耶和華。 之後,亞伯蘭繼續前往南地。

亞伯蘭逃荒到埃及

10 當時,那地方鬧饑荒,災情非常嚴重,亞伯蘭便下到埃及暫住。 11 快要到埃及的時候,他對妻子撒萊說:「我知道你是個美貌的女子, 12 埃及人看見你,一定會因為你是我的妻子而殺了我,讓你活著。 13 所以,請你說你是我的妹妹,這樣他們會因為你而善待我,留我一命。」 14 亞伯蘭一行到了埃及,撒萊的美貌引起了埃及人的注意。 15 法老的官員見了撒萊,就在法老面前稱讚她的美貌,她便被帶進法老的王宮。 16 因為撒萊的緣故,法老厚待亞伯蘭,賞給他許多牛、羊、驢、駱駝和僕婢。

17 耶和華因亞伯蘭妻子撒萊的緣故使法老和他全家患重病。 18 法老便召見亞伯蘭,說:「你做的是什麼事?為什麼不告訴我她是你妻子? 19 為什麼說她是你妹妹,以致我娶她為妻呢?現在你妻子在這裡,帶她走吧!」 20 法老就吩咐人把亞伯蘭、他妻子以及他所有的一切都送走了。

Footnotes

  1. 12·6 橡樹」希伯來文是「大樹」,也可能指靈樹或聖樹,下同13·1814·1318·135·435·8

12 Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.(A)

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].

And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].(B)

So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the persons [servants] that they had acquired in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Abram passed through the land to the locality of Shechem, to the oak or terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your posterity. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.

From there he pulled up [his tent pegs] and departed to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.

Abram journeyed on, still going toward the South (the Negeb).

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram [b]went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive (intense and grievous).

11 And when he was about to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, I know that you are beautiful to behold.

12 So when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13 Say, I beg of you, that you are [c]my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.

14 And when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh’s house [harem].

16 And he treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and [d]camels.

17 But the Lord scourged Pharaoh and his household with serious plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?

19 Why did you say, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and get away [from here]!

20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they brought him on his way with his wife and all that he had.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 12:3 To look with disfavor on the Jews was to invite God’s displeasure; to treat the Jews offensively was to incur His wrath. But to befriend the Jews was to bring down upon one’s head the rewards of a promise that could not be broken.
  2. Genesis 12:10 Some books on archaeology frequently allude to the critical view that strangers could not have come into Egypt in earlier times, quoting Strabo and Diodorus to that effect; but later archaeological discoveries show that people from the region of Palestine and Syria were coming to Egypt in the period of Abraham. This is clearly indicated by a tomb painting at Beni Hassan, dating a little after 2000 b.c. It shows Asiatic Semites who had come to Egypt. Furthermore, the archaeological and historical indications of the coming of the Hyksos into Egypt around 1900 b.c. provided another piece of evidence that strangers could come into that land (J.P. Free, Abraham in Egypt).
  3. Genesis 12:13 Sarai was Abraham’s half sister. They had the same father, but different mothers (Gen. 20:12).
  4. Genesis 12:16 Critics have set aside the statement that Abraham had camels in Egypt as an error. But archaeological evidence, including some twenty objects ranging from the seventh century b.c. to the period before 3000 b.c., proves the authenticity of the Bible record concerning Abraham. It includes not only statuettes, plaques, rock carvings, and drawings representing camels, but also “camel bones, a camel skull, and a camel hair rope” (J. P. Free, Archaeology and Bible History).

The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household(A) to the land(B) I will show you.(C)

“I will make you into a great nation,(D)
    and I will bless you;(E)
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.[a](F)
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;(G)
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.(H)[b]

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot(I) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old(J) when he set out from Harran.(K) He took his wife Sarai,(L) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated(M) and the people(N) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,(O) and they arrived there.

Abram traveled through the land(P) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh(Q) at Shechem.(R) At that time the Canaanites(S) were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram(T) and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.(U)(V) So he built an altar there to the Lord,(W) who had appeared to him.

From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel(X) and pitched his tent,(Y) with Bethel on the west and Ai(Z) on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.(AA)

Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.(AB)

Abram in Egypt(AC)

10 Now there was a famine in the land,(AD) and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.(AE) 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,(AF) “I know what a beautiful woman(AG) you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister,(AH) so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.(AI) 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.(AJ)

17 But the Lord inflicted(AK) serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household(AL) because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?”(AM) he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?(AN) 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’(AO) so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 12:2 Or be seen as blessed
  2. Genesis 12:3 Or earth / will use your name in blessings (see 48:20)
  3. Genesis 12:7 Or seed

God Calls Abram

12 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you.

I will make you a great nation,
    and I will bless you.
I will make you famous,
    and you will be a blessing to others.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and I will place a curse on those who harm you.
And all the people on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

So Abram left Haran as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. At this time Abram was 75 years old. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and everything they owned, as well as all the servants they had gotten in Haran. They set out from Haran, planning to go to the land of Canaan, and in time they arrived there.

Abram traveled through that land as far as the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. The Canaanites were living in the land at that time. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Then he traveled from Shechem to the mountain east of Bethel and set up his tent there. Bethel was to the west, and Ai was to the east. There Abram built another altar to the Lord and worshiped him. After this, he traveled on toward southern Canaan.

Abram Goes to Egypt

10 At this time there was not much food in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live because there was so little food. 11 Just before they arrived in Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This woman is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but let you live. 13 Tell them you are my sister so that things will go well with me and I may be allowed to live because of you.”

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15 The Egyptian officers saw her and told the king of Egypt how beautiful she was. They took her to the king’s palace, and 16 the king was kind to Abram because he thought Abram was her brother. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord sent terrible diseases on the king and all the people in his house because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So the king sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me Sarai was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’ so that I made her my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and leave!” 20 Then the king commanded his men to make Abram leave Egypt; so Abram and his wife left with everything they owned.