Genesis 12:10-20

Expanded Bible

Abram Goes to Egypt

¹⁰ At this time there was ·not much food [^La famine] in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to ·live [^Lsojourn] because ·there was so little food [^Lthe famine was severe]. 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 [20:1–18; 26; ^CAbram did not trust God to protect him].”

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 [^Lthey praised her]. They took her to the king’s palace, and ¹⁶ the king was kind to Abram ·because he thought Abram was her brother [^Lon account of her]. He gave Abram sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord sent terrible ·diseases [plagues] 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 [^Lyour wife] and ·leave [go]!” ²⁰ Then the king commanded his men to make Abram leave Egypt; so Abram and his wife left with everything they owned.