Daily Bread

Abram in Egypt^(A)

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land,^(B) and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.^{(C) 11} As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,^(D) “I know what a beautiful woman^(E) 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,^(F) 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.^{(G) 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.^(H)

¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted^(I) serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household^(J) because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?”^(K) he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?^{(L) 19} Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’^(M) 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.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt^(N) to the Negev,^(O) with his wife and everything he had, and Lot^(P) went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy^(Q) in livestock^(R) and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev^(S) he went from place to place until he came to Bethel,^(T) to the place between Bethel and Ai^(U) where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where he had first built an altar.^(V) There Abram called on the name of the Lord.^(W)

⁵ Now Lot,^(X) who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.^{(Y) 7} And quarreling^(Z) arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites^(AA) and Perizzites^(AB) were also living in the land^(AC) at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(AD) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(AE) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(AF) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”^(AG)

¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain^(AH) of the Jordan toward Zoar^(AI) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,^(AJ) like the land of Egypt.^(AK) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom^(AL) and Gomorrah.)^{(AM) 11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan,^(AN) while Lot^(AO) lived among the cities of the plain^(AP) and pitched his tents near Sodom.^{(AQ) 13} Now the people of Sodom^(AR) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.^(AS)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.^{(AT) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever.^{(AU) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(AV) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(AW) for I am giving it to you.”^(AX)

¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre^(AY) at Hebron,^(AZ) where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.^(BA)