15:1
אַחַ֣ר ׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה
After these events,
הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם
The Word of the LORD came into being unto Avram
בּֽ͏ַמַּחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר
through the vision-window, saying:
אַל־תִּירָ֣א אַבְרָ֗ם
“Fear not Avram,
אָנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ
I AM a shield to you,
שְׂכָרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃
Your reward is immensely great!”
15:2
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהוִה֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י
Then Avram said:
“O Lord Jehovah, what will you grant me,
וְאָנֹכִ֖י הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עֲרִירִ֑י
Since I am going childless,
וּבֶן־מֶ֣שֶׁק בֵּיתִ֔י ה֖וּא דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר׃
And the son for the possession of my house,
he is Damascene EliEzer (God is Help)? ”
15:3
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם
Furthermore, Avram said:
הֵ֣ן לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע
“Behold, to me you have not given seed;
וְהִנֵּ֥ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ֖י יוֹרֵ֥שׁ אֹתִֽי׃
And look, a son of my household
is going to dispossess me.”
15:4
וְהִנֵּ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר
Then behold the Word of the LORD to him:
לֹ֥א יִֽירָשְׁךָ֖ זֶ֑ה
“This one shall not disposess you;
כִּי־אִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ
But one who shall issue from your own genes,
ה֖וּא יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ׃
He himself shall be your heir!”
15:5
וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה
And he brought him outside,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים
and he said:
“Look now towards the heavens,
and count the stars,
אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם
if indeed you are able to count them!
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃
And he said to him, so shall your seed be!”
15:6
ְהֶאֱמִ֖ן בּֽ͏ַיהוָ֑ה
And he believed in the LORD;
וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לּ֖וֹ צְדָקָֽה׃
And He reckoned it to him
as righteousness/godliness/justness.
15:7
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו
And He said to him:
אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵאתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים
“I AM JEHOVAH,
Who brought you out of Ur Kasdim,
לָ֧תֶת לְךָ֛ אֶת־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
in order to give you this land to inherit.”
15:8
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהוִ֔ה
Then he replied:
“Oh Lord Jehovah,
בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע כִּ֥י אֽ͏ִירָשֶֽׁנָּה׃
by what means shall I know
that I will inherit it?”
15:9
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו קְחָ֥ה לִי֙ עֶגְלָ֣ה מְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁת
And He said to him;
“Bring Me a three-year heifer,
וְעֵ֥ז מְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁת וְאַ֣יִל מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁ
and a three-year she-goat,
and a three-year ram;
וְתֹ֖ר וְגוֹזָֽל׃
And both a turtle-dove,
and a young bird;”
15:10
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֗לֶּה
And he brought all these to Him;
וַיְבַתֵּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ
Then He cut them in pieces
through the middle;
וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אִישׁ־בִּתְר֖וֹ לִקְרַ֣את רֵעֵ֑הוּ
And He placed one part of it
opposite it’s counterpart;
וְאֶת־הַצִפֹּ֖ר לֹ֥א בָתָֽר׃
But the birds He did not cut in pieces;
15:11
וַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים
Then the birds of prey swooped down
on the carcasses;
וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם׃
But Avram scared them away.
15:12
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא
And the sun was about to set,
וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־אַבְרָ֑ם
and a deep sleep fell upon Avram,
וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃
And there was a feeling of dread,
great darkness, descending over him.
15:13
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם
Then He said to Avram,
יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗
“Know for certain that a stranger your seed shall be ,
בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם
in a land not their own,
moreover they served them,
and then they shall afflict them;
אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
Four hundred years;”
15:14
וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי
“But also the nation,
whom they shall have served,
I am going to judge;
וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃
Then afterwards they shall leave
with great possessions;”
15:15
וְאַתָּ֛ה תָּב֥וֹא אֶל־אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם
“Now you, you shall go to your fathers;
תִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָֽה׃
You shall be buried at a good age;”
15:16
וְד֥וֹר רְבִיעִ֖י יָשׁ֣וּבוּ הֵ֑נָּה
“And a fourth generation shall return here;
כִּ֧י לֹא־שָׁלֵ֛ם עֲוֺ֥ן הָאֱמֹרִ֖י עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
For the iniquity of the Amorites
was not complete up to that point;”
15:17
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה
Now it came to pass the sun had set,
and there was intense darkness;
וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר
And behold, a blazing smoking furnace
together with fiery lightning which passed through
בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
between the pieces;
15:18
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא כָּרַ֧ת יְהוָ֛ה
On that very day, the LORD had cut
אֶת־אַבְרָ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֑ר
a Covenant with Avram, saying:
לְזַרְעֲךָ֗ נָתַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את
“To your seed, have I given this land,
מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם
from the river of Egypt (south of Gaza),
עַד־הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־פְּרָֽת׃
As far as the great river, the river Euphrates;”
15:19-21
אֶת־הַקֵּינִי֙ וְאֶת־הַקְּנִזִּ֔י
“The Kenites,
and the Kenizzites (an Edomite tribe),
וְאֵ֖ת הַקַּדְמֹנִֽי׃
and also the Kadmonites (Easterners);
וְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֥י וְאֶת־הַפְּרִזִּ֖י וְאֶת־הָרְפָאִֽים׃
And the Hittites (of Anatolian/Turkish origin) and the Perizzites (rural dwellers),
and also the Rephaim (a race of giants focusing on the dead);
וְאֶת־הֽ͏ָאֱמֹרִי֙ וְאֶת־הֽ͏ַכְּנַעֲנִ֔י
And then the Amorites (an Akkadian and Semitic people), and the Canaanites;
וְאֶת־הַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִֽי׃ ס
And also the Girgashites (a Canaanite tribe) and the Jebusites.”
Website translation into English by Eddie Van Gent,
together with his wife, Maraea Van Gent (Masters of Humanities in Social Sciences, Majoring in Education)
The Hebrew Masoretic Text is Unicode/XML version 1.3 Leningrad Codex,
Build 26.4 from tanach.us
Audio excerpts from
Tanakh audio recording by Rabbi Dan Be’eri
Chapter15 Hebrew Audio