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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 15

Translation and Transliteration of 

1Some time later, the word of Hashem came to Avram in a vision. He said, “Fear not, Avram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”

a-KHAR ha-d'-va-REEM ha-AY-leh ha-YA d'-var a-do-NAI el a-v'RAM ba-ma-kha-ZEH lay-MOR: al ti-RA a-v'RAM, a-no-KHEE ma-GEN la-KHEM, s'-kha-r'-KHA har-BEH m'-OD

אאַחַ֣ר ׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם בַּֽמַּחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אַל־תִּירָ֣א אַבְרָ֗ם אָנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ שְׂכָרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

2But Avram said, “O Hashem, what can You give me, seeing that I shall die childless, and the one in charge of my household is Dammesek Eliezer!”

vai-YO-mer av-RAM a-do-NAI a-do-NAI ma-ti-TEN-LEE v'-a-NO-khi ho-LEKH a-ri-REE u-ven me-SHEK bay-TEE HU da-ME-sek e-li-EZER

בוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהֹוִה֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י וְאָנֹכִ֖י הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עֲרִירִ֑י וּבֶן־מֶ֣שֶׁק בֵּיתִ֔י ה֖וּא דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃

3Avram said further, “Since You have granted me no offspring, my steward will be my heir.”

vai-YO-mer av-RAHM, HAYN lee LO na-ta-TAH za-RA, v'-hi-NEH ben b'-YEE-tee yo-RESH o-TEE

גוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם הֵ֣ן לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע וְהִנֵּ֥ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ֖י יוֹרֵ֥שׁ אֹתִֽי׃

4The word of Hashem came to him in reply, “That one shall not be your heir; none but your very own issue shall be your heir.”

v'-hi-NEH d'-var a-do-NAI ay-LAV lay-MOR: lo yi-ra-SHE-kha ZEH, kee-im a-SHER yay-TSEH mi-m'-EY-kha, HU yi-ra-SHE-kha.

דוְהִנֵּ֨ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א יִֽירָשְׁךָ֖ זֶ֑ה כִּי־אִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ ה֖וּא יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ׃

5He took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He added, “So shall your offspring be.”

vai-YO-tzay o-TO ha-KHU-tza va-YO-mer ha-BET-na ha-sha-MA-yi-MAH u-s'-FOR ha-ko-KHA-veem im tu-KHAL lis-PO-ram va-YO-mer LO ko YI-y'-YEH zar-E-kha

הוַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

6And because he put his trust in Hashem, He reckoned it to his merit.

v'-he-e-MIN ba-do-NAI va-YAKH-she-VE-ha LO t'-za-da-KAH

ווְהֶאֱמִ֖ן בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לּ֖וֹ צְדָקָֽה׃

7Then He said to him, “I am Hashem who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to assign this land to you as a possession.”

va-YO-mer e-LAV, a-NEE a-do-NAI a-SHER ho-tzay-TEE-kha may-UR kash-DEEM la-TET le-KHA et ha-A-retz ha-ZOT l'-rish-TAH

זוַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵאתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים לָ֧תֶת לְךָ֛ אֶת־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃

8And he said, “O Hashem, how shall I know that I am to possess it?”

va-yo-MAR a-do-NAI y'-ho-VAH ba-MAH e-DA k'-ee ee-ra-SHE-nah

חוַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע כִּ֥י אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃

9He answered, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young bird.”

vai-YO-mer e-LAV ke-KHAH lee e-G'-LAH m'-shu-LE-shet v'-EZ m'-shu-LE-shet v'-AY-il m'-shu-LA-shet v'-TOR v'-GO-zal

טוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו קְחָ֥ה לִי֙ עֶגְלָ֣ה מְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁת וְעֵ֥ז מְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁת וְאַ֣יִל מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁ וְתֹ֖ר וְגוֹזָֽל׃

10He brought Him all these and cut them in two, placing each half opposite the other; but he did not cut up the bird.

vai-YA-kakh-LO et-KOL ay-LEH va-y'-ba-TAYR o-TAM ba-ta-VEKH va-yi-TAYN eesh bi-t'-RO li-k'-RA-at ray-E-hu v'-et ha-tsi-POR lo ba-TAR

יוַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֗לֶּה וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אִישׁ־בִּתְר֖וֹ לִקְרַ֣את רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְאֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֖ר לֹ֥א בָתָֽר׃

11Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Avram drove them away.

vai-YAY-red ha-a-YIT al ha-pe-GA-reem va-ya-SHEV o-TAM av-RAM

יאוַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם׃

12As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Avram, and a great dark dread descended upon him.

vai-HI ha-SHE-mesh la-BO, v'-tar-DAY-ma na-F'-LA al a-v'-RAM, v'-hi-NEH a-YE-ma kha-SHE-kha g'-DO-la no-FE-LET a-LA-yu

יבוַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃

13And He said to Avram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years;

vai-YO-mer l'-av-RAM, ya-DO-a tay-DA kee-GAYR y'-he-YEH zar-a-KHA b'-E-rets lo LA-HEM va-a-va-DUM v'-i-NU ot-TAM ar-BA me-OT sha-NAH

יגוַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃

14but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.

v'-GAM et-ha-go-Y a-SHER ya-a-vo-DU DAN a-NO-khi v'-a-kha-RAY-khen ye-tze-U bir-KHUSH ga-DOL

ידוְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃

15As for you, You shall go to your fathers in peace; You shall be buried at a ripe old age.

v'-a-TAH ta-VO el a-vo-TAY-kha b'-sha-LOM ti-ka-VAYR b'-say-VAH to-VAH

טווְאַתָּ֛ה תָּב֥וֹא אֶל־אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם תִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָֽה׃

16And they shall return here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

v'-DOR r'-vee-EE ya-SHU-vu he-Nah, kee lo sha-LEM a-VON ha-e-mo-REE ad he-Nah.

טזוְד֥וֹר רְבִיעִ֖י יָשׁ֣וּבוּ הֵ֑נָּה כִּ֧י לֹא־שָׁלֵ֛ם עֲוֺ֥ן הָאֱמֹרִ֖י עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃

17When the sun set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces.

vai-HI ha-SHE-mesh ba-AH, va-a-LA-tah ha-YAH, v'-hi-NEH ta-NUR a-SHAN v'-la-PIYD AYSH a-SHER a-VAHR BAYN ha-g'-za-REEM ha-E-leh

יזוַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

18On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, “To your offspring I assign this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

ba-YOM ha-HU ka-RAT a-do-NAI et av-RAM b'-REET lay-MOR l'-zar-a-KHA na-TA-tee et ha-A-retz ha-ZOT mi-n'-HAR mitz-RA-yim ad ha-na-HAR ha-ga-DOL n'-har p'-RAT

יחבַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא כָּרַ֧ת יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־אַבְרָ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֑ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֗ נָתַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם עַד־הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־פְּרָֽת׃

 15:18   To your offspring I assign this land

In this monumental covenant between Hashem and Avraham, God states that on this day He has given the Land of Israel to Avraham’s descendants. While Hashem uses the term natatee (נתתי), ‘I have given,’ in the past tense, in reference to generations that have not yet been born, Rashi explains that this is not a grammatical error. Since God’s word is the ultimate truth, it is as if it has already been done. Though it took more than four hundred years until this promise was fulfilled, the children of Avraham waited with faith. This patient waiting served as good practice for the nearly two thousand years of waiting that preceded our present return to Zion. With the birth of the State of Israel, another promise to Avraham has been fulfilled.

19the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

et ha-KEE-nee v'-et ha-ke-NIZZ-ee v'-AYT ha-ka-DMO-nee

יטאֶת־הַקֵּינִי֙ וְאֶת־הַקְּנִזִּ֔י וְאֵ֖ת הַקַּדְמֹנִֽי׃

20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

v'-et ha-khi-TEE v'-et ha-pe-REE-zee v'-et ha-ro-fa-EEM

כוְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֥י וְאֶת־הַפְּרִזִּ֖י וְאֶת־הָרְפָאִֽים׃

21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

v'-et ha-e-MO-ree v'-et ha-k'-na-a-NEE v'-et ha-gir-GA-shee v'-et ha-y'-vu-SEE

כאוְאֶת־הָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְאֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י וְאֶת־הַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִֽי׃