Genesis 12:10-20

International Standard Version

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to live because the famine was so severe. ¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he told his wife Sarai, “Look, I’m aware that you’re a beautiful woman. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ Then they’ll kill me, but allow you to live. ¹³ Please say that you are my sister, so things will go well for me for your sake. That way, you’ll be saving my life.”

¹⁴ As Abram was entering Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful Sarai^[a] was. ¹⁵ When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they brought her to the attention of Pharaoh and took the woman to Pharaoh’s palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well because of her, so Abram acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. ¹⁷ But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸ Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you 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 as a wife for myself? Now, here is your wife! Take her and get out!”

²⁰ So Pharaoh assigned men to Abram,^[b] and they escorted him, his wife, and all that he had out of the country.^[c]