TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 14
Translation and Transliteration of
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1And these are the allotments of the Israelites in the land of Canaan, that were apportioned to them by the Kohen Elazar, by Yehoshua son of Nun, and by the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes,
אוְאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר־נָחֲלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֲשֶׁר נִחֲלוּ אוֹתָם אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן וְרָאשֵׁי אֲבוֹת הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
2the portions that fell to them by lot, as Hashem had commanded through Moshe for the nine and a half tribes.
בבְּגוֹרַל נַחֲלָתָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה לְתִשְׁעַת הַמַּטּוֹת וַחֲצִי הַמַּטֶּה׃
3For the portion of the other two and a half tribes had been assigned to them by Moshe on the other side of the Yarden. He had not assigned any portion among them to the Leviim;
גכִּי־נָתַן מֹשֶׁה נַחֲלַת שְׁנֵי הַמַּטּוֹת וַחֲצִי הַמַּטֶּה מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן וְלַלְוִיִּם לֹא־נָתַן נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹכָם׃
4for whereas the descendants of Yosef constituted two tribes, Menashe and Efraim, the Leviim were assigned no share in the land, but only some towns to live in, with the pastures for their livestock and cattle.
דכִּי־הָיוּ בְנֵי־יוֹסֵף שְׁנֵי מַטּוֹת מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרָיִם וְלֹא־נָתְנוּ חֵלֶק לַלְוִיִּם בָּאָרֶץ כִּי אִם־עָרִים לָשֶׁבֶת וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם לְמִקְנֵיהֶם וּלְקִנְיָנָם׃
5Just as Hashem had commanded Moshe, so the Israelites did when they apportioned the land.
הכַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּחְלְקוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃
6The Judites approached Yehoshua at Gilgal, and Kalev son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know what instructions Hashem gave at Kadesh-barnea to Moshe, the man of Hashem, concerning you and me.
ווַיִּגְּשׁוּ בְנֵי־יְהוּדָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּגִּלְגָּל וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כָּלֵב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה הַקְּנִזִּי אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים עַל אֹדוֹתַי וְעַל אֹדוֹתֶיךָ בְּקָדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ׃
7I was forty years old when Moshe the servant of Hashem sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I gave him a forthright report.
זבֶּן־אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי בִּשְׁלֹחַ מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָה אֹתִי מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ לְרַגֵּל אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וָאָשֵׁב אֹתוֹ דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר עִם־לְבָבִי׃
8While my companions who went up with me took the heart out of the people, I was loyal to Hashem my God.
חוְאַחַי אֲשֶׁר עָלוּ עִמִּי הִמְסִיו אֶת־לֵב הָעָם וְאָנֹכִי מִלֵּאתִי אַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי׃
9On that day, Moshe promised on oath, ‘The land on which your foot trod shall be a portion for you and your descendants forever, because you were loyal to Hashem my God.'
טוַיִּשָּׁבַע מֹשֶׁה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר אִם־לֹא הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכָה רַגְלְךָ בָּהּ לְךָ תִהְיֶה לְנַחֲלָה וּלְבָנֶיךָ עַד־עוֹלָם כִּי מִלֵּאתָ אַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי׃
10Now Hashem has preserved me, as He promised. It is forty-five years since Hashem made this promise to Moshe, when Yisrael was journeying through the wilderness; and here I am today, eighty-five years old.
יוְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֶחֱיָה יְהֹוָה אוֹתִי כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר זֶה אַרְבָּעִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה מֵאָז דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר־הָלַךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם בֶּן־חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה׃
11I am still as strong today as on the day that Moshe sent me; my strength is the same now as it was then, for battle and for activity.
יאעוֹדֶנִּי הַיּוֹם חָזָק כַּאֲשֶׁר בְּיוֹם שְׁלֹחַ אוֹתִי מֹשֶׁה כְּכֹחִי אָז וּכְכֹחִי עָתָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה וְלָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא׃
12So assign to me this hill country as Hashem promised on that day. Though you too heard on that day that Anakites are there and great fortified cities, if only Hashem is with me, I will dispossess them, as Hashem promised.”
יבוְעַתָּה תְּנָה־לִּי אֶת־הָהָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי אַתָּה־שָׁמַעְתָּ בַיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי־עֲנָקִים שָׁם וְעָרִים גְּדֹלוֹת בְּצֻרוֹת אוּלַי יְהֹוָה אוֹתִי וְהוֹרַשְׁתִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה׃
13So Yehoshua blessed Kalev son of Jephunneh and assigned Chevron to him as his portion.
vai-va-r'-KHAY-hu y'-ho-SHU-a va-yi-TAYN et khev-RON l'-kha-LAYV ben y'-fu-NEH l'-na-kha-LAH
יגוַיְבָרְכֵהוּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־חֶבְרוֹן לְכָלֵב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה לְנַחֲלָה׃
14:13 So Yehoshua blessed Kalev son of Y’funeh
Cave of Machpela in Chevron
The ancient city of Chevron is also known as Kiryat Arba (although today, the name Kiryat Arba is used for a modern suburb next to the ancient holy city). There, Avraham bought the Cave of Machpelah to serve as the burial site of his wife, Sara (Genesis 23). This cave then became the burial site of all of the Patriarchs and three of the Matriarchs (Rachel is buried in Beit Lechem). Yehoshua gave this city, located within the territory of the tribe of Yehuda, as a special inheritance to Kalev, son of Jephunneh. Rashi (Numbers 13:22) explains that when Kalev was sent by Moshe to scout out the land, he prayed at the Cave Machpelah, asking God to help him avoid being influenced by the evil spies. Indeed, he remained loyal to Hashem and to His promise to give the Land of Israel to the Children of Israel. It is therefore fitting that he is rewarded with Chevron as his inheritance, and he bravely fights to claim it. Today, the Jewish residents of Chevron follow in Kalev’s footsteps. Despite many violent threats to their existence in the city – such as a brutal massacre in 1929 and many more recent terrorist attacks – they bravely preserve both their own community and the rights of the entire Jewish People to pray in the holy Cave of Machpelah.
14Thus Chevron became the portion of Kalev son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, as it still is, because he was loyal to Hashem, the God of Yisrael.
ידעַל־כֵּן הָיְתָה־חֶבְרוֹן לְכָלֵב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה הַקְּנִזִּי לְנַחֲלָה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יַעַן אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא אַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
15The name of Chevron was formerly Kiryat Arba: [Arba] was the great man among the Anakites. And the land had rest from war.
טווְשֵׁם חֶבְרוֹן לְפָנִים קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים הוּא וְהָאָרֶץ שָׁקְטָה מִמִּלְחָמָה׃
