Genesis 15

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.

After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

2 And Abram said, LORD God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?

But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and lo, one born in my house is my heir.

Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 And behold, the word of the LORD [came] to him, saying, This shall not be thy heir; but he that shall come forth out of thy own bowels shall be thy heir.

Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou art able to number them: and he said to him, So shall thy seed be.

And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

8 And he said, Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?

But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”

9 And he said to 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.

And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”

10 And he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds he did not divide.

So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.

13 And he said to Abram, Know certainly that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

14 And also that nation which they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

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

You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.

In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

17 And it came to pass, that when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.

18 In that same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”