The Call of Abram
(Genesis 26:1–5; Acts 7:1–8)

1And YHWH had said to Abram, “Go for yourself from your land and from your kindred and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you.†

2And I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you

and I will make great your name,

and you shall be a blessing.

3And I will bless those blessing you,

and him who curses you I will curse,

and in you

all the families of the earth shall be blessed.†”

4And Abram departed as YHWH had spoken to him, and Lot departed with him. And Abram was a son of five years and seventy years when he went out from Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot, son of his brother, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had made in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan.

And they came to the land of Canaan. 6And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the Oak† of Moreh. And at that time the Canaanite was in the land.

7And YHWH appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I will give this land.†” And he built there an altar to YHWH, who had appeared to him.

8And he moved on from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And he built there an altar to YHWH, and he called on the name of YHWH.

9And Abram journeyed, going on and journeying toward the Negev.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

10And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11And it came to pass when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Behold now, I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance. 12And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will kill me, and you they will let live. 13Say, please, you are my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.”

14And it came to pass, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and they commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into the house of Pharaoh. 16And Abram he treated well for her sake, and he had for himself sheep, and cattle, and male donkeys, and menservants, and maidservants, and female donkeys, and camels.

17And YHWH plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of the matter of Sarai, wife of Abram. 18And Pharaoh called to Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to myself as a wife? And now, behold, your wife; take her and go!”

20And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.