The Call of Abram
(Genesis 26:1–5; Acts 7:1–8)

1  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (And had said) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) אַבְרָ֔ם (Abram), לֶךְ־ (Go) לְךָ֛ (for yourself) מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ (from your land), וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ (and from your kindred), וּמִבֵּ֣ית (and from the house) אָבִ֑יךָ (of your father), אֶל־ (to) הָאָ֖רֶץ (the land) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃ (I will show you).

2  וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ (And I will make you) לְג֣וֹי (into a nation) גָּד֔וֹל (great),

וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ (and I will bless you)

וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה (and I will make great) שְׁמֶ֑ךָ (your name);

וֶהְיֵ֖ה (and you shall be) בְּרָכָֽה׃ (a blessing).

3  וַאֲבָֽרֲכָה֙ (And I will bless) מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ (those blessing you),

וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ (and him who curses you) אָאֹ֑ר (I will curse);

וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ (and shall be blessed)

בְךָ֔ (in you) כֹּ֖ל (all) מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת (the families) הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (of the earth).

4  וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ (And departed) אַבְרָ֗ם (Abram), כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (as) דִּבֶּ֤ר (had spoken) אֵלָיו֙ (to him) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH), וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (and departed) אִתּ֖וֹ (with him) ל֑וֹט (Lot). וְאַבְרָ֗ם (And Abram) בֶּן־ (was a son) חָמֵ֤שׁ (of five) שָׁנִים֙ (years) וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים (and seventy) שָׁנָ֔ה (years) בְּצֵאת֖וֹ (when he went out) מֵחָרָֽן׃ (from Haran). 5  וַיִּקַּ֣ח (And took) אַבְרָם֩ (Abram) אֶת־ (-) שָׂרַ֨י (Sarai) אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ (his wife), וְאֶת־ (and) ל֣וֹט (Lot) בֶּן־ (son) אָחִ֗יו (of his brother), וְאֶת־ (and) כָּל־ (all) רְכוּשָׁם֙ (their possessions) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) רָכָ֔שׁוּ (they had gathered), וְאֶת־ (and) הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ (the souls) אֲשֶׁר־ (whom) עָשׂ֣וּ (they had made) בְחָרָ֑ן (in Haran); וַיֵּצְא֗וּ (and they went out) לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ (to go) אַ֣רְצָה (to the land) כְּנַ֔עַן (of Canaan).

וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ (And they came) אַ֥רְצָה (to the land) כְּנָֽעַן׃ (of Canaan). 6  וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר (And passed through) אַבְרָם֙ (Abram) בָּאָ֔רֶץ (the land) עַ֚ד (to) מְק֣וֹם (the place) שְׁכֶ֔ם (of Shechem), עַ֖ד (as far as) אֵל֣וֹן (the Oak) מוֹרֶ֑ה (of Moreh). וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י (And the Canaanite was) אָ֥ז (at that time) בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (in the land).

7  וַיֵּרָ֤א (And appeared) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) אַבְרָ֔ם (Abram) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (and said), לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ (To your seed) אֶתֵּ֖ן (I will give) אֶת־ (-) הָאָ֣רֶץ (the land) הַזֹּ֑את (this). וַיִּ֤בֶן (And he built) שָׁם֙ (there) מִזְבֵּ֔חַ (an altar) לַיהוָ֖ה (to YHWH), הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה (who had appeared) אֵלָֽיו׃ (to him).

8  וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק (And he moved on) מִשָּׁ֜ם (from there) הָהָ֗רָה (to the mountain) מִקֶּ֛דֶם (east) לְבֵֽית־ (of Beth-) אֵ֖ל (el), וַיֵּ֣ט (and he pitched) אָהֳלֹ֑ה (his tent), בֵּֽית־ (with Beth-) אֵ֤ל (el) מִיָּם֙ (on the west) וְהָעַ֣י (and Ai) מִקֶּ֔דֶם (on the east). וַיִּֽבֶן־ (And he built) שָׁ֤ם (there) מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ (an altar) לַֽיהוָ֔ה (to YHWH) וַיִּקְרָ֖א (and he called) בְּשֵׁ֥ם (on the name) יְהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH).

9  וַיִּסַּ֣ע (And journeyed) אַבְרָ֔ם (Abram) הָל֥וֹךְ (going on), וְנָס֖וֹעַ (and journeying) הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃פ (toward the Negev).

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

10  וַיְהִ֥י (And there was) רָעָ֖ב (a famine) בָּאָ֑רֶץ (in the land); וַיֵּ֨רֶד (and went down) אַבְרָ֤ם (Abram) מִצְרַ֙יְמָה֙ (to Egypt) לָג֣וּר (to sojourn) שָׁ֔ם (there); כִּֽי־ (for) כָבֵ֥ד (was severe) הָרָעָ֖ב (the famine) בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (in the land). 11  וַיְהִ֕י (And it came to pass), כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (when) הִקְרִ֖יב (he was close) לָב֣וֹא (to entering) מִצְרָ֑יְמָה (Egypt), וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (that he said) אֶל־ (to) שָׂרַ֣י (Sarai) אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ (his wife), הִנֵּה־ (Behold), נָ֣א (now) יָדַ֔עְתִּי (I know) כִּ֛י (that) אִשָּׁ֥ה (a woman) יְפַת־ (beautiful) מַרְאֶ֖ה (in appearance) אָֽתְּ׃ (you are). 12  וְהָיָ֗ה (And it will come to pass), כִּֽי־ (when) יִרְא֤וּ (see) אֹתָךְ֙ (you) הַמִּצְרִ֔ים (the Egyptians), וְאָמְר֖וּ (that they will say), אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ (His wife) זֹ֑את (this is). וְהָרְג֥וּ (And they will kill) אֹתִ֖י (me), וְאֹתָ֥ךְ (and you) יְחַיּֽוּ׃ (they will let live). 13  אִמְרִי־ (Say), נָ֖א (please), אֲחֹ֣תִי (my sister) אָ֑תְּ (you are), לְמַ֙עַן֙ (so that) יִֽיטַב־ (it may go well) לִ֣י (with me) בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ (for your sake), וְחָיְתָ֥ה (and may live) נַפְשִׁ֖י (my soul) בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃ (because of you).

14  וַיְהִ֕י (And it came to pass), כְּב֥וֹא (when entered) אַבְרָ֖ם (Abram) מִצְרָ֑יְמָה (Egypt), וַיִּרְא֤וּ (that saw) הַמִּצְרִים֙ (the Egyptians) אֶת־ (-) הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה (the woman), כִּֽי־ (that) יָפָ֥ה (beautiful) הִ֖וא (she was) מְאֹֽד׃ (very). 15  וַיִּרְא֤וּ (And saw) אֹתָהּ֙ (her) שָׂרֵ֣י (the princes) פַרְעֹ֔ה (of Pharaoh), וַיְהַֽלְל֥וּ (and they commended) אֹתָ֖הּ (her) אֶל־ (to) פַּרְעֹ֑ה (Pharaoh). וַתֻּקַּ֥ח (And was taken) הָאִשָּׁ֖ה (the woman) בֵּ֥ית (into the house) פַּרְעֹֽה׃ (of Pharaoh). 16  וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם (And Abram) הֵיטִ֖יב (he treated well) בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ (for her sake), וַֽיְהִי־ (and he had) ל֤וֹ (for himself) צֹאן־ (sheep), וּבָקָר֙ (and cattle), וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים (and male donkeys), וַעֲבָדִים֙ (and menservants), וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת (and maidservants), וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת (and female donkeys), וּגְמַלִּֽים׃ (and camels).

17  וַיְנַגַּ֨ע (And plagued) יְהוָ֧ה׀ (YHWH) אֶת־ (-) פַּרְעֹ֛ה (Pharaoh) נְגָעִ֥ים (plagues) גְּדֹלִ֖ים (with great), וְאֶת־ (and) בֵּית֑וֹ (his house), עַל־ (because) דְּבַ֥ר (the matter of) שָׂרַ֖י (Sarai) אֵ֥שֶׁת (wife) אַבְרָֽם׃ (of Abram). 18  וַיִּקְרָ֤א (And called) פַרְעֹה֙ (Pharaoh) לְאַבְרָ֔ם (to Abram) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (and said), מַה־ (What is) זֹּ֖את (this) עָשִׂ֣יתָ (you have done) לִּ֑י (to me)? לָ֚מָּה (Why) לֹא־ (not) הִגַּ֣דְתָּ (did you tell) לִּ֔י (me) כִּ֥י (that) אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ (your wife) הִֽוא׃ (she was)? 19  לָמָ֤ה (Why) אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ (did you say), אֲחֹ֣תִי (My sister)? הִ֔וא (She is), וָאֶקַּ֥ח (and I took) אֹתָ֛הּ (her) לִ֖י (to myself) לְאִשָּׁ֑ה (as a wife)? וְעַתָּ֕ה (And now), הִנֵּ֥ה (behold) אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ (your wife); קַ֥ח (take her) וָלֵֽךְ׃ (and go).

20  וַיְצַ֥ו (And commanded) עָלָ֛יו (concerning him) פַּרְעֹ֖ה (Pharaoh) אֲנָשִׁ֑ים (his men), וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ (and they sent away) אֹת֛וֹ (him) וְאֶת־ (and) אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ (his wife) וְאֶת־ (and) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) לֽוֹ׃ (he had).