# There was a famine

The crops did not grow well that season. This can be made explicit. AT: "There was a shortage of food" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# in the land

"in the area" or "in the land where Abram was living"

# went down into

Possible meanings are 1) "went further south" or 2) "went away from Canaan into." It would be best to translate this using your usual words for going from a higher place to a lower place.