< Genesis 15 >
1 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 exceedingly great.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great."
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
Abram said, "Lord, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"
3 And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house will be my heir.
Then Abram said, "Look, to me you have given no offspring, and look, one born in my house is my heir."
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This one shall not be thy heir; but he that shall come forth out of thy own bowels shall be thy heir.
And look, the word of God came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir."
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward the heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them; and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
And he brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And he said to him, "So will your descendants be."
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he accounted it to him for righteousness.
And he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give unto thee this land, to inherit it.
And he said to him, "I am God, who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to possess."
8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
But he said, "Lord, how can I know that I will possess it?"
9 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.
And he said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.
He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and placed each half opposite the other; but he did not divide the birds.
11 And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses; but Abram drove them away.
And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was about going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror, dark and great, fell upon him.
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And look, a terror of great darkness fell on him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land which is not theirs, and they will make them serve, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
And he said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs; and they will be enslaved there. And they will oppress them four hundred years.
14 And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they go out with great substance.
But I will also judge that nation whom they will serve. And afterward they will come out with many possessions.
15 But thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.
16 Yet the fourth generation shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Emorites will not be full until then.
In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
17 And it came to pass, when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold a smoking furnace, and a burning flame, which passed between those pieces.
It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, look, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
18 On the same 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;
On that day God made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Perath:
19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim,
the Hethites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
21 And the Emorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."