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 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: “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 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 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, to me Thou hast given no seed, and, lo, one born in my house is to be mine 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 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 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 count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.'

6 Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.

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 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 unto him: 'I am the LORD that 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 GOD, whereby 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Yet truly, I will judge the nation that they will serve, and after this they will depart with great substance.

and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they 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 shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt 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 back hither; 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 there was thick darkness, 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 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 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.'