< Genesis 15 >
1 And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield you, your reward shall be very great.
And so whanne these thingis weren don, the word of the Lord was maad to Abram bi a visioun, and seide, Abram, nyle thou drede, Y am thi defender, and thi meede is ful greet.
2 And Abram said, Master [and] Lord, what will you give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus [is mine heir.]
And Abram seide, Lord God, what schalt thou yyue to me? Y schal go with oute fre children, and this Damask, sone of Elieser, the procuratour of myn hous, schal be myn eir.
3 And Abram said, [I am grieved] since you have given me no seed, but my home-born [servant] shall succeed me.
And Abram addide, Sotheli thou hast not youe seed to me, and, lo! my borun seruaunt schal be myn eir.
4 And immediately there was a voice of the Lord to him, saying, This shall not be your heir; but he that shall come out of you shall be your heir.
And anoon the word of the Lord was maad to hym, and seide, This schal not be thin eir, but thou schalt haue hym eir, that schal go out of thi wombe.
5 And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if you shall be able to number them fully, and he said, Thus shall your seed be.
And the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.
6 And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Abram bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytfulnesse.
7 And he said to him, I am God that brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land to inherit.
And God seide to hym, Y am the Lord, that ladde thee out of Vr of Caldeis, that Y schulde yyue this lond to thee, and thou schuldist haue it in possessioun.
8 And he said, Master [and] Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?
And Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde it?
9 And he said to him, Take for me an heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and a ram in his third year, and a dove and a pigeon.
And the Lord answerde, and seide, Take thou to me a cow of thre yeer, and a geet of thre yeer, and a ram of thre yeer, a turtle also, and a culuer.
10 So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide.
Which took alle these thingis, and departide tho bi the myddis, and settide euer eithir partis ech ayens other; but he departide not the briddis.
11 And birds came down upon the bodies, [even] upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them.
And foulis camen doun on the careyns, and Abram drof hem awey.
12 And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and behold! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.
And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide him.
13 And it was said to Abram, You shall surely know that your seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their won, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years.
And it was seid to hym, Wite thou bifore knowinge, that thi seed schal be pilgrim foure hundrid yeer in a lond not his owne, and thei schulen make hem suget to seruage, and thei schulen turment hem;
14 And the nation whoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property.
netheles Y schal deme the folk to whom thei schulen serue; and aftir these thingis thei schulen go out with greet catel.
15 But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.
Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.
16 And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up, even until now.
Sotheli in the fourthe generacioun thei schulen turne ayen hidir, for the wickidnesses of Amoreis ben not yit fillid, `til to present tyme.
17 And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.
Therfor whanne the sunne was gon doun, a derk myst was maad, and a furneis smokynge apperide, and a laumpe of fier, and passide thorou tho departingis.
18 In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.
In that dai the Lord made a couenaunt of pees with Abram, and seide, Y schal yyue to thi seed this lond, fro the ryuer of Egipt til to the greet ryuer Eufrates; Cyneis,
19 The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,
and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,
20 and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,
and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,
21 and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.
and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.