Saadia · Bereshit 12
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- Bereshit 12:1
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ
. .
When God said to Abram: 'Go forth from your land and your birthplace and the house of your father, to the land which I shall show you;
- Bereshit 12:2
וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה
. . .
and I shall make of you a great nation, and bless you, and magnify your name; and you shall be a blessing.
- Bereshit 12:3
וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה
. . .
And I shall bless those who bless you, and curse those who revile you; and in you shall be blessed all the clans of the earth.'
- Bereshit 12:4
וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט וְאַבְרָם בֶּן-חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן
. . . .
And Abram went forth, as God had said to him; and Lot went with him. And Abram was a son of seventy-five years when he went out from Haran.
- Bereshit 12:5
וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת-שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת-לוֹט בֶּן-אָחִיו וְאֶת-כָּל-רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכָשׁוּ וְאֶת-הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר-עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן וַיֵּצְאוּ לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה כְּנָעַן
. . . . .
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the souls which they had acquired in Haran; and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to it.
- Bereshit 12:6
וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ
. . .
And Abram traveled about in the land, as far as the place of Nablus (Shechem), as far as the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were in it at that time.
- Bereshit 12:7
וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו
. . . . .
Then God appeared to him, and said: 'To your offspring shall I give this land.' And he built there an altar to the God who had appeared to him.
- Bereshit 12:8
וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית-אֵל--וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה בֵּית-אֵל מִיָּם וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּבֶן-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה
. . . .
And he moved from there to the mountain east of Beth-El; and he pitched his tent there — with Beth-El to the west, and the Ai to the east — and he built there an altar to God, and called upon His name.
- Bereshit 12:9
וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה
.
And Abram journeyed onward — each time time passed, he journeyed onward — toward the qibla (the south).
- Bereshit 12:10
וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּרֶד אַבְרָם מִצְרַיְמָה לָגוּר שָׁם כִּי-כָבֵד הָרָעָב בָּאָרֶץ
. .
Then there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, since the famine was severe in the land.
- Bereshit 12:11
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לָבוֹא מִצְרָיְמָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ הִנֵּה-נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת-מַרְאֶה אָתְּ
. . .
And when he drew near to entering Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: 'Behold, I know that you are beautiful in appearance.
- Bereshit 12:12
וְהָיָה כִּי-יִרְאוּ אֹתָךְ הַמִּצְרִים וְאָמְרוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ זֹאת וְהָרְגוּ אֹתִי וְאֹתָךְ יְחַיּוּ
. .
I fear that, if the Egyptians see you, they will say, "This is his wife"; and they will kill me and keep you alive.
- Bereshit 12:13
אִמְרִי-נָא אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ--לְמַעַן יִיטַב-לִי בַעֲבוּרֵךְ וְחָיְתָה נַפְשִׁי בִּגְלָלֵךְ
. .
Say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account, and my soul may live because of you.'
- Bereshit 12:14
וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא אַבְרָם מִצְרָיְמָה וַיִּרְאוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה כִּי-יָפָה הִוא מְאֹד
. .
And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman — that she was very beautiful.
- Bereshit 12:15
וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתָהּ שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה וַיְהַלְלוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה בֵּית פַּרְעֹה
. .
And the officials of Pharaoh saw her, and they praised her to him; and the woman was taken to his house.
- Bereshit 12:16
וּלְאַבְרָם הֵיטִיב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ וַיְהִי-לוֹ צֹאן-וּבָקָר וַחֲמֹרִים וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַאֲתֹנֹת וּגְמַלִּים
. . .
And he treated Abram well on her account; and he had sheep, and cattle, and donkeys, and male and female slaves, and she-asses, and camels.
- Bereshit 12:17
וַיְנַגַּע יְהוָה אֶת-פַּרְעֹה נְגָעִים גְּדֹלִים וְאֶת-בֵּיתוֹ עַל-דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם
. ]] .
And God threatened Pharaoh with great plagues, and his household, on account of Sarai, the wife of Abram.
- Bereshit 12:18
וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה לְאַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר מַה-זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לִּי לָמָּה לֹא-הִגַּדְתָּ לִּי כִּי אִשְׁתְּךָ הִוא
. . . .
And Pharaoh summoned Abram, and said to him: 'What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she is your wife?
- Bereshit 12:19
לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ אֲחֹתִי הִוא וָאֶקַּח אֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה אִשְׁתְּךָ קַח וָלֵךְ
. . .
Why did you say, "She is my sister," so that I took her for myself as a wife? And now — behold, your wife: take her and go.'
- Bereshit 12:20
וַיְצַו עָלָיו פַּרְעֹה אֲנָשִׁים וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ
. .
And Pharaoh appointed men over him; and they escorted him out, and his wife, and all that he had.
English is a working draft — author revising