Genesis 15

1 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."

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.

2 Abram said, "Lord, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

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.

3 Then Abram said, "Look, to me you have given no offspring, and look, one born in my house is my heir."

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

4 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."

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.

5 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."

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.

6 And he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

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

7 And he said to him, "I am God, who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to possess."

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.

8 But he said, "Lord, how can I know that I will possess it?"

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

9 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."

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.

10 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.

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.

11 And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

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

12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And look, a terror of great darkness fell on him.

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

13 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.

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.

14 But I will also judge that nation whom they will serve. And afterward they will come out with many possessions.

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

15 But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.

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

16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

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.

17 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.

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.

18 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:

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.

19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

The Cineans and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,

20 the Hethites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

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

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

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