Genesis 15

1 Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.

After these things, came the word of Yahweh unto Abram, in a vision saying, —Do not fear Abram, I am a shield to thee, thine exceeding great reward.

2 And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.

And Abram said My Lord Yahweh, what canst thou give me, when, I, am going on childless, —and the heir of my house, is Eliezer, of Damascus,

3 And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant, born in my house, shall be my heir.

And Abram said—Lo, to me, hast thou not given seed, —And lo! a son of my household, is mine heir!

4 And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him shalt thou have for thy heir.

And lo! the word of Yahweh [came] unto him, saying, This one, shall not be thine heir: But one who cometh forth of thy body—he shall be thine heir.

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.

And he brought him forth abroad and said—Look steadfastly. I pray thee towards the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number, them, And he said to him, Thus, shall be thy seed.

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

And he had faith in Yahweh, —so he reckoned it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.

And he said unto him, —I, am Yahweh, who brought thee forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it?

And he said, My Lord Yahweh, whereby, can I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon.

And he said unto him, Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove and a young pigeon.

10 And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other; but the birds he divided not.

So he took for him all these, and divided them, in the midst, and placed each piece over against its fellow, but the birds, divided he not.

11 And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Then came down the birds of prey upon the carcass, and Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him.

And it came to pass when, the sun, was about to go in, and, a deep sleep, had fallen upon Abram, lo! a terror a great darkness, was falling upon him.

13 And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years.

And he said to Abram—Thou must surely know, that, sojourners, will thy seed become in a land not theirs, and shall serve them and they will humble them, four hundred years;

14 But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after this they shall come out with great substance.

moreover also, the nation whom they will serve, I, am going to judge, and after that, shall they come forth with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a good old age.

But, thou, shalt go in unto thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present time.

And, in the fourth generation, shall they return hither, —for not complete, is the iniquity of the Amorites, as yet,

17 And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.

So it came to pass when, the sun, had gone in, and, a thick darkness, had come on, that lo there was a smoking hearth and torch of fire, which passed through between these pieces.

18 That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates.

In that day, did Yahweh solemnise with Abram a covenant, saying, —To thy seed, have I given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river—the river Euphrates:

19 The Cineans and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,

the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;

20 And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also,

and the Hittite and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;

21 And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.

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