God Did NOT "Bless Israel"

We noticed that (noted theologian and Hebrew scholar) Ted Cruz' account of Genesis 12 vs 1-4 is not the same as any other reputable translation of that passage.

Here's the New International:

 12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 
“I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”[b]

Then there's this one--the Catholic version:

“Leave Your Country [and] Your People.”[c]1 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and the house of your father, and go to the land to which I will lead you.

2 
“I will make of you a great
    people and I will bless you.
I will make your name great
    and it will become a blessing.
3 
I will bless those who bless
    you and curse those who curse you.
And through you
    all the nations on the earth shall be blessed.” 

That last phrase is a clear reference to Christ--Who brought about the New Covenant.

So what is the Jewish translation?  Let's go with the Orthodox version here:

 12 Now Hashem had said unto Avram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from the bais avicha, unto ha’aretz that I will show thee;

² And I will make of thee a goy gadol (great nation), and I will bless thee, and make thy shem great; and thou shalt be a brocha (blessing);

³ And I will bless the one blessing you, and curse him that curses you; and kol mishpochot haadamah shall be blessed through you.[T.N. There is a brocha in this verse that many do not know but that every true follower of Moshiach should know.]...

Still looking for the word "Israel"?  So are we!!

OK.  One more.  How about the King James?

 12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed....

Cruz's and Huckabee's mentors twist the word "nation" into "Israel."  As you can see, that is not warranted by ANY of the quoted texts above.  "Nation" clearly means 'people', or 'tribe'; and that 'people' or 'tribe' is (later) limited to those who accept Christ as the Messiah.  (See St Paul's letters.)  It has nothing to do with land--as many (but not all) Orthodox Jews state, repeatedly.  And who better to render an accurate interpretation than the Orthodox?

Regardless of that, the Catholic Church rejects Zionism as a matter of dogma.  So let's not run into new wars based on some position held by only a relative few such as Huckabee or Cruz.