Genesis 15

1 After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, 'Fear not, Abram, I [am] a shield to thee, thy reward [is] exceeding great.'

After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Have no fear, Abram: I will keep you safe, and great will be your reward.

2 And Abram saith, 'Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'

And Abram said, What will you give me? for I have no child and this Eliezer of Damascus will have all my wealth after me.

3 And Abram saith, 'Lo, to me Thou hast not given seed, and lo, a domestic doth heir me.'

And Abram said, You have given me no child, and a servant in my house will get the heritage.

4 And lo, the word of Jehovah [is] unto him, saying, 'This [one] doth not heir thee; but he who cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'

Then said the Lord, This man will not get the heritage, but a son of your body will have your property after you.

5 and He bringeth him out without, and saith, 'Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, 'Thus is thy seed.'

And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.

6 And he hath believed in Jehovah, and He reckoneth it to him — righteousness.

And he had faith in the Lord, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

7 And He saith unto him, 'I [am] Jehovah who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to thee this land to possess it;'

And he said to him, I am the Lord, who took you from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land for your heritage.

8 and he saith, 'Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'

And he said, O Lord God, how may I be certain that it will be mine?

9 And He saith unto him, 'Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'

And he said, Take a young cow of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a sheep of three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.

10 and he taketh to him all these, and separateth them in the midst, and putteth each piece over against its fellow, but the bird he hath not divided;

All these he took, cutting them in two and putting one half opposite the other, but not cutting the birds in two.

11 and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back.

And evil birds came down on the bodies, but Abram sent them away.

12 And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a terror of great darkness is falling upon him;

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep came on Abram, and a dark cloud of fear.

13 and He saith to Abram, 'knowing — know that thy seed is a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred years,

And he said to Abram, Truly, your seed will be living in a land which is not theirs, as servants to a people who will be cruel to them for four hundred years;

14 and the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great substance;

But I will be the judge of that nation whose servants they are, and they will come out from among them with great wealth.

15 and thou — thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old age;

As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace; at the end of a long life you will be put in your last resting-place.

16 and the fourth generation doth turn back hither, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.'

And in the fourth generation they will come back here; for at present the sin of the Amorite is not full.

17 And it cometh to pass — the sun hath gone in, and thick darkness hath been — and lo, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which hath passed over between those pieces.

Then when the sun went down and it was dark, he saw a smoking fire and a flaming light which went between the parts of the bodies.

18 In that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, 'To thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Phrat,

In that day the Lord made an agreement with Abram, and said, To your seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

The Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,

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

And the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,

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

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