Genesis 15
1 And so, these things having been transacted, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your protector, and your reward is exceedingly great.”
After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield, thy exceedingly great reward.
2 And Abram said: “Lord God, what will you give to me? I may go without children. And the son of the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.”
And Abram said, O lord Jehovah, what will thou give me, since I go childless. And he who shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram added: “Yet to me you have not given offspring. And behold, my servant born in my house will be my heir.”
And Abram said, Behold, thou have given no seed to me. And, lo, a man born in my house is my heir.
4 And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: “This one will not be your heir. But he who will come from your loins, the same will you have for your heir.”
And, behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir, but he who shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him outside, and he said to him, “Take in the heavens, and number the stars, if you can.” And he said to him, “So also will your offspring be.”
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So shall thy seed be.
6 Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
And he believed in Jehovah, and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who led you away from Ur of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land, and so that you would possess it.”
And he said to him, I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 But he said, “Lord God, in what way may I be able to know that I will possess it?”
And he said, O lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And the Lord responded by saying: “Take for me a cow of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, also a turtle-dove and a pigeon.”
And he said to him, Take a heifer three years old for me, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon.
10 Taking all these, he divided them through the middle, and placed both parts opposite one another. But the birds he did not divide.
And he took all these for him, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half opposite the other. But he did not divide the birds.
11 And birds descended upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a dread, great and dark, invaded him.
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And it was said to him: “Know beforehand that your future offspring will be sojourners in a land not their own, and they will subjugate them in servitude and afflict them for four hundred years.
And he said to Abram, Know of a certainty that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs. And shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
14 Yet truly, I will judge the nation that they will serve, and after this they will depart with great substance.
And also I will judge that nation, whom they shall serve, and afterward they shall come out with great substance.
15 But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
But thou will go to thy fathers in peace; thou will be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation, they will return here. For the iniquities of the Amorites are not yet completed, even to this present time.”
And in the fourth generation they shall come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.
17 Then, when the sun had set, there came a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
18 On that day, God formed a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt, even to the great river Euphrates:
In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites
the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
20 and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, likewise the Rephaim,
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
21 and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
