< Genesis 15 >

1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and your very great reward.”
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.
2 Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
3 Abram said, “Since you have given me no descendant, see, the steward of my house is my heir.”
And Abram said, Behold to me thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house will be my heir.
4 Then, behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but rather the one who will come from your own body will be your heir.”
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.
5 Then he brought him outside, and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
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.
6 He believed Yahweh, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
And he believed in the Lord; and he accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 He said to him, “I am Yahweh, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
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.
8 He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 Then he said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
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.
10 He brought him all these, and cut them in two, and placed each half opposite the other, but he did not divide the birds.
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.
11 When the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses; but Abram drove them away.
12 Then when the sun was going down, Abram fell sound asleep and, behold, a deep and terrifying darkness overwhelmed him.
And when the sun was about going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror, dark and great, fell upon him.
13 Then Yahweh said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
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.
14 I will judge that nation that they will serve, and afterward they will come out with abundant possessions.
And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they go out with great substance.
15 But you will go to your fathers in peace, and you will be buried in a good old age.
But thou shalt come to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”
Yet the fourth generation shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Emorites will not be full until then.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
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.
18 On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I hereby give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—
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;
19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites,
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim,
21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
And the Emorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

< Genesis 15 >