Genesis 15

1 After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Have no fear, Abram: I will keep you safe, and great will be your 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 exceeding great.'

2 And Abram said, What will you give me? for I have no child and this Eliezer of Damascus will have all my wealth after me.

And Abram said: 'O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'

3 And Abram said, You have given me no child, and a servant in my house will get the heritage.

And Abram said: 'Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed, and, lo, one born in my house is to be mine heir.'

4 Then said the Lord, This man will not get the heritage, but a son of your body will have your property after you.

And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying: 'This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.'

5 And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.

And He brought him forth abroad, and said: 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.'

6 And he had faith in the Lord, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said to him, I am the Lord, who took you from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land for your heritage.

And He said unto him: 'I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.'

8 And he said, O Lord God, how may I be certain that it will be mine?

And he said: 'O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?'

9 And he said, Take a young cow of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a sheep of three years old, and a dove 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 All these he took, cutting them in two and putting one half opposite the other, but not cutting the birds in two.

And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other; but the birds divided he not.

11 And evil birds came down on the bodies, but Abram sent them away.

And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep came on Abram, and a dark cloud of fear.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a dread, even a great darkness, fell upon him.

13 And he said to Abram, Truly, your seed will be living in a land which is not theirs, as servants to a people who will be cruel to them for four hundred years;

And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 But I will be the judge of that nation whose servants they are, and they will come out from among them with great wealth.

and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace; at the end of a long life you will be put in your last resting-place.

But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 And in the fourth generation they will come back here; for at present the sin of the Amorite is not full.

And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.'

17 Then when the sun went down and it was dark, he saw a smoking fire and a flaming light which went between the parts of the bodies.

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.

18 In that day the Lord made an agreement with Abram, and said, To your seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

In that 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 Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

20 And the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

21 And the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'