Then the LORD told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."
So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth--his livestock and all the people who had joined his household at Haran--and finally arrived in Canaan.
Traveling through Canaan, they came to a place near Shechem and set up camp beside the oak at Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I am going to give this land to your offspring. "And Abram built an altar there to commemorate the LORD's visit.
After that, Abram traveled southward and set up camp in the hill country between Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar and worshiped the LORD.
Then Abram traveled south by stages toward the Negev.
At that time there was a severe famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to wait it out.
As he was approaching the borders of Egypt, Abram said to Sarai, "You are a very beautiful woman.
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, `This is his wife. Let's kill him; then we can have her!'
But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life."
And sure enough, when they arrived in Egypt, everyone spoke of her beauty.
When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to their king, the pharaoh, and she was taken into his harem.
Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her--sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
But the LORD sent a terrible plague upon Pharaoh's household because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
So Pharaoh called for Abram and accused him sharply. "What is this you have done to me?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife?
Why were you willing to let me marry her, saying she was your sister? Here is your wife! Take her and be gone!"
Pharaoh then sent them out of the country under armed escort--Abram and his wife, with all their household and belongings.