Year A: Second Sunday of Lent: First Reading

From the Lectionary
First Reading
Genesis 12:1-4a

The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the Lord directed him.

Compare: New American Bible (1970)

The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the Lord directed him.

Compare: Jerusalem Bible (1966)

Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous so that it will be used as a blessing. I will bless those who bless you; I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.”

So Abram went as Yahweh told him.

Compare: New English Bible (1970)

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your own country, your kinsmen, and your father’s house, and go to a country that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you and make your name so great that it shall be used in blessings: Those that bless you I shall bless, those that curse you, I will execrate. All the families on earth will pray to be blessed as you are blessed.”

And so Abram set out as the Lord had bidden him.

Compare: Knox Bible (1955)

Meanwhile, the Lord said to Abram, “Leave thy country behind thee, thy kinsfolk, and thy father’s home, and come away into a land I will shew thee. Then I will make a great people of thee; I will bless thee, and make thy name renowned, a name of benediction; those who bless thee, I will bless, those who curse thee, I will curse, and in thee all the races of the world shall find a blessing.”

So Abram went out, as the Lord bade him.

Compare: An American Translation (1939)

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your father’s home, for the land that I will show you; and I will make a great nation of you; I will bless you, and make your name so great that it will be used for blessings. I will bless those who bless you, and anyone who curses you I will curse; through you shall all the families of the earth invoke blessings on one another.”

So Abram departed, as the Lord had told him.

Compare: The Living Bible (1971)

God had told Abram, “Leave your own country behind you, and your own people, and go to the land I will guide you to. If you do, I will cause you to become the father of a great nation; I will bless you and make your name famous, and you will be a blessing to many others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and the entire world will be blessed because of you.”

So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed him.

Compare: King James Version (1611)

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.

Compare: Douay-Rheims Bible (1610)

And the Lord said to Abram: “Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father’s house, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed”:

So Abram went out as the Lord had commanded him.

Compare: New Catholic Bible (2019)

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and the house of your father, and go to the land to which I will lead you. I will make of you a great people and I will bless you. I will make your name great and it will become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. And through you all the nations on the earth shall be blessed.”

Abram therefore departed, just as the Lord had ordered him. 

Compare: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (2006)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.