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.'

And so, these things having been transacted, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your protector, and your reward is exceedingly great.”

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: “Lord God, what will you give to me? I may go without children. And the son of the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.”

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

And Abram added: “Yet to me you have not given offspring. And behold, my servant born in my house will be my heir.”

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;'

And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: “This one will not be your heir. But he who will come from your loins, the same will you have for your heir.”

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 brought him outside, and he said to him, “Take in the heavens, and number the stars, if you can.” And he said to him, “So also will your offspring be.”

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

Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.

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 led you away from Ur of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land, and so that you would possess it.”

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

But he said, “Lord God, in what way may I be able to know that I will possess it?”

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 the Lord responded by saying: “Take for me a cow of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, also a turtle-dove and a 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;

Taking all these, he divided them through the middle, and placed both parts opposite one another. But the birds he did not divide.

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

And birds descended upon the carcasses, but Abram drove 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;

And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a dread, great and dark, invaded him.

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 it was said to him: “Know beforehand that your future offspring will be sojourners in a land not their own, and they will subjugate them in servitude and afflict them for four hundred years.

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

Yet truly, I will judge the nation that they will serve, and after this they will depart with great substance.

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

But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.

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

But in the fourth generation, they will return here. For the iniquities of the Amorites are not yet completed, even to this present time.”

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 had set, there came a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.

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,

On that day, God formed a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt, even to the great river Euphrates:

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

the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites

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

and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, likewise the Rephaim,

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

and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”