King James Version

Genesis 12:13

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

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Hebrew

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אִמְרִיimrisayאָמַרverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “say”, a commandH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…נָ֖אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.אֲחֹ֣תִיachotisisterאָחוֹתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “sister”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH269a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively)(an-) other, sister, together.אָ֑תְּotetheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.לְמַ֨עַן֙lemaanthatמַעַןpreposition — “that”H4616properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order thatbecause of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to.יִֽיטַבyitavbe acceptedיָטַבverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be accepted”, an unfinished actionH3190to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase]…לִ֣יlitoלִ֣יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toבַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְvaavurekhein thatעָבוּרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “in that”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5668properly, crossed, i.e. (abstractly) transit; used only adverbially, on account of, in order thatbecause of, for (...'s sake), (intent) that, to.וְחָיְתָ֥הvechayetahand liveחָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and live”, a completed actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.נַפְשִׁ֖יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…בִּגְלָלֵֽךְbiglalekhein because ofגָּלָלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “in because of”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1558a circumstance (as rolled around); only used adverbially, on account ofbecause of, for (sake).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.

Young’s Literal Translation

say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister, so that it is well with me because of thee, and my soul hath lived for thy sake.'

World English Bible

Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

Darby Translation

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me on thy account, and my soul may live because of thee.

Douay-Rheims

Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπον οὖν, ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι, ὅπως ἄν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σὲ, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκέν σου.