Genesis 15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 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 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 Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;

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

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