8. From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel, pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there to the Lord and invoked the Lord by name.
9. Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
10. There was famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, since the famine in the land was severe.
11. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: “I know that you are a beautiful woman.
12. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife’; then they will kill me, but let you live.
13. Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that I may fare well on your account and my life may be spared for your sake.”
14. When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
15. When Pharaoh’s officials saw her they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16. Abram fared well on her account, and he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female servants, male and female donkeys, and camels.
17. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
18. Then Pharaoh summoned Abram and said to him: “How could you do this to me! Why did you not tell me she was your wife?
19. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and leave!”
20. Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.