Saadia · Bereshit 15

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  1. Bereshit 15:1

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

    . . . . .

    After these things, the word of God came to Abram by revelation, saying: 'Fear not, O Abram; I am your shield; your reward is exceedingly great.'

  2. Bereshit 15:2

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

    . . .

    He said: 'O God, my Lord, what will You give me? — for I am going forth barren; and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus.'

  3. Bereshit 15:3

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

    . .

    And Abram said: 'Since You have not granted me offspring, the son who is in my household shall inherit me.'

  4. Bereshit 15:4

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

    . .

    And behold, the word of God came to him, saying: 'This one shall not inherit you; rather, he who shall come forth from your loins — he shall inherit you.'

  5. Bereshit 15:5

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

    . . . . .

    Then He brought him outside, and said to him: 'Turn your gaze toward the sky, and try to count the stars — can you count them?' Then He said to him: 'So shall your offspring be.'

  6. Bereshit 15:6

    וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה

    .

    And he believed in God; and He counted it to him as a good deed.

  7. Bereshit 15:7

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

    . . .

    And He said to him: 'I am God, who brought you out from the furnace of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.'

  8. Bereshit 15:8

    וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה בַּמָּה אֵדַע כִּי אִירָשֶׁנָּה

    . .

    He said: 'O God, my Lord — by what shall I know that I shall possess it?'

  9. Bereshit 15:9

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

    . . . .

    He said to him: 'Bring me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove and a young pigeon.'

  10. Bereshit 15:10

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

    . . .

    And he brought for Him all of these, and divided them in their midst, and placed each piece opposite its fellow; but the bird he did not divide.

  11. Bereshit 15:11

    וַיֵּרֶד הָעַיִט עַל-הַפְּגָרִים וַיַּשֵּׁב אֹתָם אַבְרָם

    .

    Then he placed the bird upon the carcasses; and Abram moved them, and they stirred.

  12. Bereshit 15:12

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

    . . . ]]

    And when it was at the time of sunset, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, an awe — a great darkness — had fallen upon him.

  13. Bereshit 15:13

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

    . . . . .

    And He said to Abram: 'Know assuredly that your offspring shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs; and they shall be enslaved by them, and they shall afflict them — for the full four hundred years.

  14. Bereshit 15:14

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

    .

    And the people whom they shall enslave — I, too, shall judge them; and after that they shall come forth with great possessions.

  15. Bereshit 15:15

    וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל-אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם תִּקָּבֵר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה

    .

    And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.

  16. Bereshit 15:16

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

    . .

    And the fourth generation shall return hither — for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.'

  17. Bereshit 15:17

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

    . . .

    And when the sun had gone down, and there was darkness, behold — like a smoking furnace and a flaming brand which passed between those pieces.

  18. Bereshit 15:18

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

    . . . .

    On that day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your offspring I give this land — from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates;

  19. Bereshit 15:19

    אֶת-הַקֵּינִי וְאֶת-הַקְּנִזִּי וְאֵת הַקַּדְמֹנִי

    the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

  20. Bereshit 15:20

    וְאֶת-הַחִתִּי וְאֶת-הַפְּרִזִּי וְאֶת-הָרְפָאִים

    and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the mighty ones (Rephaim),

  21. Bereshit 15:21

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

    and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.'

English is a working draft — author revising