Hebrew Torah  - Transliterated & Translated - Verse by Verse & with Commentary

Bereishit Chapter 15

א אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְבַר-יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר: אַל-תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ--שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

Achar hadevarim ha'eleh hayah dvar-HASHEM el-Avram bamachazeh lemor al-tira Avram anochi magen lach scharecha harbeh me'od.

1. After these events, HASHEM's word came to Avram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Avram. I am your shield. Your reward is very great."

ב וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה מַה-תִּתֶּן-לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי וּבֶן-מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי הוּא דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר

Vayomer Avram Ad-nai Elokim mah-titen-li ve'anochi holech ariri uven-meshek beiti hu Damesek Eli'ezer.

2. Avram said, "O Ad-nai Elokim, what will You give me if I continue to be childless? The heir to my household is Eli'ezer of Damascus."

ג וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם--הֵן לִי לֹא נָתַתָּה זָרַע וְהִנֵּה בֶן-בֵּיתִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי

Vayomer Avram hen li lo natatah zara vehineh ven-beiti yoresh oti.

3. Avram continued, "Behold, You have given me no offspring. A member of my household will have to inherit what is mine."

ד וְהִנֵּה דְבַר-יְהוָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה: כִּי-אִם אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִמֵּעֶיךָ הוּא יִירָשֶׁךָ

Vehineh dvar HASHEM elav lemor lo yirashecha zeh ki-im asher yetze mime'echa hu yirashecha.

4. Suddenly HASHEM's word came to him, saying, "That one shall not be your heir. One born from your own body will inherit what is yours."

ה וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וַיֹּאמֶר הַבֶּט-נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים--אִם-תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ

Vayotze oto hachutzah vayomer habet-na hashamaymah usfor hakochavim im-tuchal lispor otam vayomer lo koh yihyeh zar'echa.

5. He took [Avram] outside and said, "Look toward the heaven and count the stars. See if you can count them." [G-d then] said to him, "This is how your offspring will be."

ו וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה

Vehe'emin b'HASHEM vayachsheveha lo tzedakah.

6. [Avram] believed in G-d, and He counted it as charity.

ז וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו: אֲנִי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים--לָתֶת לְךָ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְרִשְׁתָּהּ

Vayomer elav ani HASHEM asher hotzeticha me'Ur Kasdim latet lecha et-ha'aretz hazot lerishtah.

7. [G-d] said to him, "I am HASHEM Who took you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land as a possession."

ח וַיֹּאמַר: אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה

Vayomar HASHEM Elokim bamah eda ki irashenah.

8. [Avram] said, "O HASHEM, G-d, how shall I know that I will possess it?"

ט וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו קְחָה לִי עֶגְלָה מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְעֵז מְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת וְאַיִל מְשֻׁלָּשׁ וְתֹר וְגוֹזָל

Vayomer elav kecha li eglah meshuleshet ve'ez meshuleshet ve'ayl meshulash vetor vegozal.

9. [G-d] said to him, "Bring for Me a triplet heifer, a triplet goat, a triplet ram, a dove an a young pigeon."

י וַיִּקַּח-לוֹ אֶת-כָּל-אֵלֶּה וַיְבַתֵּר אֹתָם בַּתָּוֶךְ וַיִּתֵּן אִישׁ-בִּתְרוֹ לִקְרַאת רֵעֵהוּ וְאֶת-הַצִּפֹּר לֹא בָתָר

Vayikach-lo et-kol-eleh vayevater otam batavech vayiten ish-bitro likrat re'ehu ve'et-hatzipor lo vatar.

10. [Avram] brought all these to Him. He divided them in the center, and placed one half opposite the other. The birds, however, he did not divide.

יא וַיֵּרֶד הָעַיִט עַל-הַפְּגָרִים וַיַּשֵּׁב אֹתָם אַבְרָם

Vayered ha'ayit al-hapgarim vayashev otam Avram.

11. Vultures descended on the carcasses, but Avram drove them away.

יב וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לָבוֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָה נָפְלָה עַל-אַבְרָם וְהִנֵּה אֵימָה חֲשֵׁכָה גְדֹלָה נֹפֶלֶת עָלָיו

Vayehi hashemesh lavo vetardemah naflah al-Avram vehineh eymah chashechah gdolah nofelet alav.

12. The sun was about to set, and a trance fell upon Avram; a deep dark dread fell upon him.

יג וַיֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָם יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי-גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אֹתָם--אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה

Vayomer le-Avram yadoa teda ki-ger yihyeh zar'acha be'eretz lo lahem va'avadum ve'inu otam arba me'ot shanah.

13. [G-d] said to Avram, "Know for sure that your offspring will be a foreigner in a land that is not theirs. [The others] will enslave them and oppress them for four hundred years.

יד וְגַם אֶת-הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ, דָּן אָנֹכִי וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל

Vegam et-hagoi asher ya'avodu dan anochi ve'acharei-chen yetz'u birechush gadol.

14. I will also bring judgment against the nation that they serve; then they shall leave with great wealth.

טו וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל-אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם: תִּקָּבֵר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה

Ve'atah tavo el-avoteicha beshalom tikaver beseivah tovah.

15. But you shall join your fathers in peace; you will be buried at good old age.

טז וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה: כִּי לֹא-שָׁלֵם עֲו‍ֹן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד-הֵנָּה

Vedor revi'i yashuvu henah ki lo-shalem avon ha'Emori ad-henah.

16. The fourth gernerationshall return here since the Emorim' sin will not have run it course.

יז וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

Vayehi hashemesh ba'ah va'alatah hayah vehineh tanur ashan velapid esh asher avar bein hagezarim ha'eleh.

17. The sun set and it became very dark; a smoking furnace and a torch of fire passed through the pieces.

יח בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּרַת יְהוָה אֶת-אַבְרָם--בְּרִית לֵאמֹר: לְזַרְעֲךָ נָתַתִּי אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִנְּהַר מִצְרַיִם עַד-הַנָּהָר הַגָּדֹל נְהַר-פְּרָת

Bayom hahu karat HASHEM et-Avram brit lemor lezar'acha natati et-ha'aretz hazot minehar Mitzrayim ad-hanahar hagadol nehar-Perat.

18. On that day HASHEM made a pact with Avram, saying, "To your offspring I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the Euphrates;

יט אֶת-הַקֵּינִי וְאֶת-הַקְּנִזִּי וְאֵת הַקַּדְמֹנִי

Et-haKeini ve'et haKenizi ve'et haKadmoni.

19. [The lands of] the Keini, the Kenizi, the Kadmoni,

כ וְאֶת-הַחִתִּי וְאֶת-הַפְּרִזִּי וְאֶת-הָרְפָאִים

Ve'et-haChiti ve'et-haPrizi ve'et-haRefayim.

20. the Chiti, the Perizi, the Refayim,

כא וְאֶת-הָאֱמֹרִי וְאֶת-הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְאֶת-הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי וְאֶת-הַיְבוּסִי

Ve'et-ha'Emori ve'et-haKna'ani ve'et-haGirgashi ve'et-haYevusi.

21. the Emori, the Kena'ani, the Girgashi, and the Yevusi.