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.
After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
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.]
But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 And Abram said, [I am grieved] since you have given me no seed, but my home-born [servant] shall succeed me.
Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
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.
Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
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 took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
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.
The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
8 And he said, Master [and] Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?
But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess 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 said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”
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.
So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.
11 And birds came down upon the bodies, [even] upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them.
And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and behold! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed 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.
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
14 And the nation whoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property.
But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15 But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old 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.
In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
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.
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
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.
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
19 The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,
the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,
Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.
Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
