Genesis 15

1 After these things the word of YHWH has been to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I [am] a shield to you, your reward [is] exceedingly great.”

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.

2 And Abram says, “Lord YHWH, what do You give to me, and I am going childless? And an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.”

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.]

3 And Abram says, “Behold, to me You have not given seed, and behold, a servant will be my heir.”

And Abram said, [I am grieved] since you have given me no seed, but my home-born [servant] shall succeed me.

4 And behold, the word of YHWH [is] to him, saying, “This [one] will not be your heir; but he who comes out from your bowels, he will be your heir”;

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.

5 and He brings him out outside and says, “Now look attentively toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them”; and He says to him, “Thus is your seed.”

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.

6 And he has believed in YHWH, and He reckons it to him—righteousness.

And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

7 And He says to him, “I [am] YHWH who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to you this land to possess it”;

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.

8 and he says, “Lord YHWH, whereby do I know that I possess it?”

And he said, Master [and] Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And He says to him, “Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a female goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird”;

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.

10 and he takes all these to Him, and separates them in the midst, and puts each piece opposite its fellow, but the bird he has not divided;

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.

11 and the ravenous birds come down on the carcasses, and Abram causes them to turn back.

And birds came down upon the bodies, [even] upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them.

12 And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep has fallen on Abram, and behold, a terror of great darkness is falling on him;

And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and behold! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.

13 and He says to Abram, “knowing—know that your seed is a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred years,

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.

14 and the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great substance;

And the nation whoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property.

15 and you come to your fathers in peace; you are buried in a good old age;

But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.

16 and the fourth generation turns back here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up, even until now.

17 And it comes to pass—the sun has gone in, and thick darkness has been and behold, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which has passed over between those pieces.

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.

18 In that day has YHWH made with Abram a covenant, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River,

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.

19 with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,

20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,

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

and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.