Genesis 15
1 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not Abram; I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceedingly great.
2 But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
3 Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house will be my heir.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This one shall not be thy heir; but he that shall come forth out of thy own bowels shall be thy heir.
5 And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward the heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them; and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
And he believed in the Lord; and he accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give unto thee this land, to inherit it.
8 But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”
And he said unto him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
10 So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.
11 And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses; but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
And when the sun was about going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror, dark and great, fell upon him.
13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land which is not theirs, and they will make them serve, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
14 But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they go out with great substance.
15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
But thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Yet the fourth generation shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Emorites will not be full until then.
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
And it came to pass, when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold a smoking furnace, and a burning flame, which passed between those pieces.
18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates;
19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim,
21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
And the Emorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
