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

Bereishit Chapter 12

א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ

Vayomer HASHEM el-Avram lech lecha me'artzecha umimoladetecha umibeit avicha el-ha'aretz asher ar'eka.

1. HASHEM said to Avram, "Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you."

ב וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ וַאֲגַדְּלָה שְׁמֶךָ וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה

Ve'e'escha legoy-gadol va'avarechecha va'agadelah shemecha veheyeh berachah.

2. "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great; you shall become a blessing."

ג וַאֲבָרְכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה

Va'avarechah mevarachecha umekalelecha a'or venivrechu vecha kol mishpechot ha'adamah.

3. "I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you. I will curse. Through you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

ד וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו יְהוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ אִתּוֹ לוֹט וְאַבְרָם בֶּן-חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן

Vayelech Avram ka'asher diber elav HASHEM vayelech ito Lot ve'Avram ben chamesh shanim veshiv'im shanah betzeto meCharan.

4. Avram went as HASHEM had told him, and Lot went with him. Avram was 75 years old when he left Charan.

ה 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

Vayikach Avram et-Sarai ishto ve'et-Lot ben-achiv ve'et-kol-rechusham asher rachashu ve'et-hanefesh asher-asu veCharan vayetze'u lalechet artzah Kna'an vayavo'u artzah Kna'an.

5. Avram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all their property that they had amassed, and the souls that they had made in Charan, and they left to go to the landof Kena'an.

ו וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי אָז בָּאָרֶץ

Vaya'avor Avram ba'aretz ad mekom Shchem ad elon Moreh vehaKna'ani az ba'aretz.

6. Avram traveled through the land as far as th esite of Shechem, until the plain of Moreh. The Kena'ani were then in the land.

ז וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר לְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו

Vayera HASHEM el-Avram vayomer lezar'acha eten et-ha'aretz hazot vayiven sham mizbe'ach l'HASHEM hanir'eh elav.

7. Hashem appeared to Avram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." There he built an altar to HASHEM Who had appeared to him.

ח וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית-אֵל--וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה בֵּית-אֵל מִיָּם וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּבֶן-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה

Vayatek misham haharah mikedem leVeit-El vayet aholoh Beit-El miyam veha'Ai mikedem vayiven-sham mizbe'ach l'HASHEM vayikra beshem HASHEM.

8. From there he moved on to the mountain ast of Beit-El and he set up his tent. With Beit-El to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to HASHEM, and he called in Hashem's Name..

ט וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה

Vayisa Avram haloch venasoa hanegbah.

9. Avram then traveled, constantly moving toward the south.

י וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּרֶד אַבְרָם מִצְרַיְמָה לָגוּר שָׁם כִּי-כָבֵד הָרָעָב בָּאָרֶץ

Vayehi ra'av ba'aretz vayered Avram Mitzraymah lagur sham ki-chaved hara'av ba'aretz.

10. There was a famine in the land. Avram went down to Egypt to live there temporarily, for the famine was severe in the land.

יא וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לָבוֹא מִצְרָיְמָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ הִנֵּה-נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת-מַרְאֶה אָתְּ

Vayehi ka'asher hikriv lavo Mitzraymah vayomer el-Sarai ishto hineh-na yadati ki ishah yefat-mar'eh at.

11. He was about to come into Egypt, and he said to his wife Sarai, "See here, I know that you are a good looking woman.

יב וְהָיָה כִּי-יִרְאוּ אֹתָךְ הַמִּצְרִים וְאָמְרוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ זֹאת וְהָרְגוּ אֹתִי וְאֹתָךְ יְחַיּוּ

Vehayah ki-yir'u otach haMitzrim ve'amru ishto zot vehargu oti ve'otach yechayu

12. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me and let you live.

יג אִמְרִי-נָא אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ--לְמַעַן יִיטַב-לִי בַעֲבוּרֵךְ וְחָיְתָה נַפְשִׁי בִּגְלָלֵךְ

Imri-na achoti at lema'an yitav-li va'avurech vechaytah nafshi biglalech.

13. Say that you are my sister. They will then be good to me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you."

יד וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא אַבְרָם מִצְרָיְמָה וַיִּרְאוּ הַמִּצְרִים אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה כִּי-יָפָה הִוא מְאֹד

Vayehi kevo Avram Mitzraymah vayir'u haMitzrim et-ha'ishah ki-yafah hi me'od.

14. When Avram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

טו וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתָהּ שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה וַיְהַלְלוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה בֵּית פַּרְעֹה

Vayir'u otah sarei Far'oh vayehalelu otah el-Par'oh vatukach ha'ishah beit Par'oh.

15. Pharaoh's officials saw her, and they praised her to Pharaoh. The woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.

טז וּלְאַבְרָם הֵיטִיב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ וַיְהִי-לוֹ צֹאן-וּבָקָר וַחֲמֹרִים וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַאֲתֹנֹת וּגְמַלִּים

Ule-Avram heytiv ba'avurah vayehi-lo tzon-uvakar vachamorim va'avadim ushfachot va'atonot ugemalim.

16. [Pharaoh] was good to Avram because of her. He came to own sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys and camels.

יז וַיְנַגַּע יְהוָה אֶת-פַּרְעֹה נְגָעִים גְּדֹלִים וְאֶת-בֵּיתוֹ עַל-דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם

Vayenaga HASHEM et-Par'oh nega'im gedolim ve'et-beito al-dvar Sarai eshet-Avram.

17. HASHEM struck Pharaoh along with his household with severe plagues because of what had happened to Avram's wife Sarai.

יח וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה לְאַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר מַה-זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לִּי לָמָּה לֹא-הִגַּדְתָּ לִּי כִּי אִשְׁתְּךָ הִוא

Vayikra Far'oh le-Avram vayomer ma-zot asita li lamah lo-higadeta li ki ishtecha hi.

18. Pharaoh summoned Avram and said, "What have you done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?"

יט לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ אֲחֹתִי הִוא וָאֶקַּח אֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה אִשְׁתְּךָ קַח וָלֵךְ

Lamah amarta achoti hi va'ekach otah li le'ishah ve'atah hineh ishtecha kach valech.

19. "Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I should take her for myself as a wife? Now here is your wife, take her and go."

כ וַיְצַו עָלָיו פַּרְעֹה אֲנָשִׁים וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ

Vayetzav alav Par'oh anashim vayeshalechu oto ve'et-ishto ve'et-kol-asher-lo.

20. Pharaoh put men in charge of him, and they sent him on his way along with his wife and all that was his.