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.”
And so whanne these thingis weren don, the word of the Lord was maad to Abram bi a visioun, and seide, Abram, nyle thou drede, Y am thi defender, and thi meede is ful greet.
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 seide, Lord God, what schalt thou yyue to me? Y schal go with oute fre children, and this Damask, sone of Elieser, the procuratour of myn hous, schal be myn eir.
3 Abram said, “Since you have given me no descendant, see, the steward of my house is my heir.”
And Abram addide, Sotheli thou hast not youe seed to me, and, lo! my borun seruaunt schal be myn eir.
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 anoon the word of the Lord was maad to hym, and seide, This schal not be thin eir, but thou schalt haue hym eir, that schal go out of thi wombe.
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 the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.
6 He believed Yahweh, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Abram bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytfulnesse.
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 God seide to hym, Y am the Lord, that ladde thee out of Vr of Caldeis, that Y schulde yyue this lond to thee, and thou schuldist haue it in possessioun.
8 He said, “Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?”
And Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde 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 the Lord answerde, and seide, Take thou to me a cow of thre yeer, and a geet of thre yeer, and a ram of thre yeer, a turtle also, and a culuer.
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.
Which took alle these thingis, and departide tho bi the myddis, and settide euer eithir partis ech ayens other; but he departide not the briddis.
11 When the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
And foulis camen doun on the careyns, and Abram drof hem awey.
12 Then when the sun was going down, Abram fell sound asleep and, behold, a deep and terrifying darkness overwhelmed him.
And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide 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 it was seid to hym, Wite thou bifore knowinge, that thi seed schal be pilgrim foure hundrid yeer in a lond not his owne, and thei schulen make hem suget to seruage, and thei schulen turment hem;
14 I will judge that nation that they will serve, and afterward they will come out with abundant possessions.
netheles Y schal deme the folk to whom thei schulen serue; and aftir these thingis thei schulen go out with greet catel.
15 But you will go to your fathers in peace, and you will be buried in a good old age.
Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.
16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”
Sotheli in the fourthe generacioun thei schulen turne ayen hidir, for the wickidnesses of Amoreis ben not yit fillid, `til to present tyme.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces.
Therfor whanne the sunne was gon doun, a derk myst was maad, and a furneis smokynge apperide, and a laumpe of fier, and passide thorou tho departingis.
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—
In that dai the Lord made a couenaunt of pees with Abram, and seide, Y schal yyue to thi seed this lond, fro the ryuer of Egipt til to the greet ryuer Eufrates; Cyneis,
19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,
20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites,
and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,
21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.
