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

Bereishit Chapter 20

א וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם אַרְצָה הַנֶּגֶב וַיֵּשֶׁב בֵּין-קָדֵשׁ וּבֵין שׁוּר וַיָּגָר בִּגְרָר

Vayisa misham Avraham artzah haNegev vayeshev beyn-Kadesh uvein Shur vayagar biGrar.

1. Avraham migrated from there ot the land of the Negev, and he settled between Kadesh and Shur. He spent some time in Gerar.

ב וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל-שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲחֹתִי הִוא; וַיִּשְׁלַח אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ גְּרָר וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שָׂרָה

Vayomer Avraham el-Sarah ishto achoti hi vayishlach Avimelech melech Grar vayikach et-Sarah.

2. Regarding Sarah his wife, Avraham said, "She is my sister." Avimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

ג וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּחֲלוֹם הַלָּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הִנְּךָ מֵת עַל-הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר-לָקַחְתָּ וְהִוא בְּעֻלַת בָּעַל

Vayavo Elokim el-Avimelech bachalom halailah vayomer lo hinecha met al-ha'ishah asher-lakachta vehi be'ulat ba'al.

3.G-d came to Avimelch in a dream at night, and He said to him, "Behold you are dying because of the woman you took. She is a married woman."

ד וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא קָרַב אֵלֶיהָ וַיֹּאמַר--אֲדֹנָי הֲגוֹי גַּם-צַדִּיק תַּהֲרֹג

Va'Avimelech lo karav eleiha vayomar Adonai hagoy gam-tzadik taharog.

4. Avimelech had not come near to her. He said, "O Master, will You also kill an innocent nation?"

ה הֲלֹא הוּא אָמַר-לִי אֲחֹתִי הִוא וְהִיא-גַם-הִוא אָמְרָה אָחִי הוּא בְּתָם-לְבָבִי וּבְנִקְיֹן כַּפַּי עָשִׂיתִי זֹאת

Halo hu amar-li achoti hi vehi-gam-hi amerah achi hu betom-levavi uvenikyon kapai asiti zot.

5. "Didn't he say to me, 'She is my sister?' She also said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with my heart innocent and my hands clean."

ו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלֹם גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם-לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ גַּם-אָנֹכִי אוֹתְךָ מֵחֲטוֹ-לִי עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיךָ לִנְגֹּעַ אֵלֶיהָ

Vayomer elav ha'Elokim bachalom gam anochi yadati ki vetom-levavcha asita zot ve'echsoch gam-anochi otcha mechato-li al-ken lo-netaticha linego'ah eleiha.

6. G-d said to him in the dream, "I also know that you have done this with an innocent heart. I also prevented you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not give you the opportunity to touch her."

ז וְעַתָּה הָשֵׁב אֵשֶׁת-הָאִישׁ כִּי-נָבִיא הוּא וְיִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְךָ וֶחְיֵה וְאִם-אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב--דַּע כִּי-מוֹת תָּמוּת אַתָּה וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר-לָךְ

Ve'atah ashev eshet-ha'ish ki-navi hu veyitpalel ba'adecha vecheyeh ve'im-einecha meshiv da ki-mot tamut atah vechol-asher-lach.

7. "Now return the man's wife for he is a prophet. He will pray for you and you will live. If you do not return [her], you can be sure that you will die - you and all that is yours."

ח וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקְרָא לְכָל-עֲבָדָיו וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת-כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים מְאֹד

Vayashkem Avimelech baboker vayikra lechol-avadav vayedaber et-kol-hadevarim ha'eleh be'ozneihem vayir'u ha'anashim me'od.

8. Avimelech got up early in the morning and he called all his servants. He uttered all these words in their ears, and the men were very much afraid."

ט וַיִּקְרָא אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְאַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מֶה-עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ וּמֶה-חָטָאתִי לָךְ כִּי-הֵבֵאתָ עָלַי וְעַל-מַמְלַכְתִּי, חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה מַעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יֵעָשׂוּ עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי

Vayikra Avimelech le-Avraham vayomer lo meh-asita lanu umeh-chatati lach ki-heveta alai ve'al mamlachti chata'ah gedolah ma'asim asher lo-ye'asu asita imadi.

9. Avimelech summoned Avraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? What terrible thing did I do to you that you brought such great guilt upon me and upon my kingdome? What you have done to me is simply not done."

י וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶל-אַבְרָהָם מָה רָאִיתָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

Vayomer Avimelech el-Avraham mah ra'ita ki asita et-hadavar hazeh.

10. Avimelech said to Avraham, "What did you see that you did such a thing?"

יא וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין-יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַהֲרָגוּנִי עַל-דְּבַר אִשְׁתִּי

Vayomer Avraham ki amarti rak ein-yir'at Elokim bamakom hazeh vaharaguni al-devar ishti.

11. Avraham said, "I assumed that the one thing missing here was the fear of G-d. They could then kill me for my wife."

יב וְגַם-אָמְנָה אֲחֹתִי בַת-אָבִי הִוא--אַךְ לֹא בַת-אִמִּי וַתְּהִי-לִי לְאִשָּׁה

Vegam omnah achoti vat-avi hi ach lo vat-imi vatehi-li le'ishah.

12. "Anyway, she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife."

יג וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעוּ אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים מִבֵּית אָבִי וָאֹמַר לָהּ זֶה חַסְדֵּךְ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשִׂי עִמָּדִי אֶל כָּל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָבוֹא שָׁמָּה אִמְרִי-לִי אָחִי הוּא

Vayehi ka'asher hite'u oti Elokim mibeit avi va'omar lah zeh chasdech asher ta'asi imadi el kol-hamakom asher navo shamah imri-li achi hu.

13. "When G-d made me wander from my father's home, I said to her, 'This is the favor that I want you to do for me: Wherever we come to, say of me, 'He is my brother.'"

יד וַיִּקַּח אֲבִימֶלֶךְ צֹאן וּבָקָר וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַיִּתֵּן לְאַבְרָהָם וַיָּשֶׁב לוֹ אֵת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ

Vayikach Avimelech tzon uvakar va'avadim ushfachot vayiten le-Avraham vayashev lo et Sarah ishto.

14. Avimelch took sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves, and he gave [them] to Avraham. He [also] returned his wife Sarah to him.

טו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ בַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֵׁב

Vayomer Avimelech hineh artzi lefaneicha batov be'eineicha shev.

15. Avimelech said, "Behold my land is before you. Settle where you see fit."

טז וּלְשָׂרָה אָמַר הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לְאָחִיךְ--הִנֵּה הוּא-לָךְ כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ וְאֵת כֹּל וְנֹכָחַת

Ule-Sarah amar hineh natati elef kesef le'achich hineh hu-lach ksut einayim lechol asher itach ve'et kol venochachat.

16. To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand silver coins. Let it be for you an eye covering for all who are with you and everyone else. You can stand up tall."

יז וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּרְפָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְאֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאַמְהֹתָיו--וַיֵּלֵדוּ

Vayitpalel Avraham el-ha'Elokim vayirpa Elokim et-Avimelech ve'et-ishto ve'amehotav vayeledu.

17. Avraham prayed to G-d. G-d healed Avimelech, his wife, and his female slaves, and they gave birth.

יח כִּי-עָצֹר עָצַר יְהוָה בְּעַד כָּל-רֶחֶם לְבֵית אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַל-דְּבַר שָׂרָה אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָהָם

Ki-atzor atzar HASHEM be'ad kol-rechem leveit Avimelech al-devar Sarah eshet-Avraham.

18. For HASHEM had tightly sealed every womb in Avimelech's house because of Sarah, Avraham's wife.