The Family of Terah in Haran; Abram's Experiences there; his Journey to Canaan (xii. 15-31)

The Family of Terah in Haran; Abram's Experiences there; his Journey to Canaan (xii. 15-31; cf. Gen. xi, 31-xii. 3).

15. And Terah went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, he and his sons, to go into the land of Lebanon and into the land of Canaan, and he dwelt in the land of Haran, and Abram, dwelt with Terah his father in

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[paragraph continues] Haran two weeks of years. ¹ 16. And in the sixth week, in the fifth year thereof, Abram sat up throughout the night on the new moon of the seventh month to observe the stars from the evening to the morning, in order to see what would be the character of the year with regard to the rains, and he was alone as he sat and observed. 17. And a word came into his heart and he said: "All the signs of the stars, and the signs of the moon and of the sun are all in the hand of the Lord. Why do I search (them) out?

18. If He desireth, He causeth it to rain, morning and evening;
And if He desireth, He withholdeth it, And all things are in His hand."

19. And he prayed that night and said
"My God, God Most High, Thou alone art my God,
And Thee and Thy dominion have I chosen.
And Thou hast created all things,
And all things that are are the work of Thy hands.

20. Deliver me from the hands of evil spirits who have sway over the thoughts of men's hearts,
And let them not lead me astray from Thee, my God.
And stablish Thou me and my seed for ever
That we go not astray from henceforth and for evermore."

[paragraph continues] 21. And he said Shall I return unto Ur of the Chaldees who seek my face that I may return to them, or am I to remain here in this place? The right path before Thee prosper it in the hands of Thy servant that he may fulfil (it) and that I may not walk in the deceitfulness of my heart, O my God." 22. And he made an end of speaking and praying, and behold the word of the Lord was sent to him through me, saying: "Get thee up from thy country, and from thy kindred and from the house of thy father unto a land which I shall show thee, and I shall make thee a great and numerous nation.

195 I A.M.

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23. And I shall bless thee
And I shall make thy name great,

And thou wilt be blessed in the earth,
And in thee will all families of the earth be blessed,

And I shall bless them that bless thee,
And curse them that curse thee. ¹

[paragraph continues] 24. And I shall be a God to thee and thy son, and to thy son's son, and to all thy seed: fear not, from henceforth and unto all generations of the earth I am thy God." 25. And the Lord God said: "Open his mouth and his ears, that he may hear and speak with his mouth, with the language which hath been revealed"; ² for it had ceased from the mouths of all the children of men from the day of the overthrow (of Babel). 26. And I ³ opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in Hebrew in the tongue of the creation. 27. And he took the books of his fathers, and these were written in Hebrew and he transcribed them, and he began from henceforth to study them, and I made known to him that which he could not (understand), and he studied them during the six rainy months. ⁴ 28. And it came to pass in the seventh year of the sixth week

1953 A.M.

that he spoke to his father, and informed him that he would leave Haran to go into the land of Canaan to see it and return to him. 29. And Terah his father said unto him; "Go in peace:

May the eternal God make thy path straight,
And the Lord [(be) with thee, and] protect thee from all evil,
And grant unto thee grace, mercy and favour before those who see thee,
And may none of the children of men have power over thee to harm thee;
Go in peace.

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[paragraph continues] 30. And if thou seest a land pleasant to thy eyes to dwell in, then arise and take me to thee and take Lot with thee, the son of Haran thy brother, as thine own son: the Lord be with thee. 31. And Nahor thy brother leave with me till thou returnest in peace, and we go with thee all together."

Footnotes

90:1 Cf. Gen. xi. 31.

91:1 Cf. Gen. xii. 1-3 (cf. Acts vii. 3).

91:2 i. e. the sacred language, Hebrew, knowledge of which had been lost since the overthrow of Babel. According to another tradition Heber alone retained knowledge of Hebrew because he had taken no part in the building of the Tower.

91:3 The angel is the speaker.

91:4 i. e. the winter.