Genesis 15
1 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.
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 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.
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 addide, Sotheli thou hast not youe seed to me, and, lo! my borun seruaunt schal be myn eir.
And Abram said—Lo, to me, hast thou not given seed, —And lo! a son of my household, is mine heir!
4 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.
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 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.
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 Abram bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytfulnesse.
And he had faith in Yahweh, —so he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7 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.
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 Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde it?
And he said, My Lord Yahweh, whereby, can I know that I shall inherit it?
9 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.
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 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.
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 And foulis camen doun on the careyns, and Abram drof hem awey.
Then came down the birds of prey upon the carcass, and Abram drove them away.
12 And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide him.
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 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;
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 netheles Y schal deme the folk to whom thei schulen serue; and aftir these thingis thei schulen go out with greet catel.
moreover also, the nation whom they will serve, I, am going to judge, and after that, shall they come forth with great substance.
15 Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.
But, thou, shalt go in unto thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 Sotheli in the fourthe generacioun thei schulen turne ayen hidir, for the wickidnesses of Amoreis ben not yit fillid, `til to present tyme.
And, in the fourth generation, shall they return hither, —for not complete, is the iniquity of the Amorites, as yet,
17 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.
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 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,
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 and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,
the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite;
20 and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,
and the Hittite and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim;
21 and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
