Genesis 15
1 After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.2 And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor 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 mine heir.4 And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; But he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.6 And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.7 And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.8 And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?9 And he said unto him, Take 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 And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.11 And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and 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.13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;14 and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.15 But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.16 And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.18 In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:19 the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,21 and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
Genesis 15
The Cutting of the Covenant
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shields and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”ts
2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord,t what will you give me sincet I continue to bet childless, and my heirts ist Eliezer of Damascus?”s
3 Abram added,t “Sincet you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!”t
4 But look,t the word of the Lord came to him: “This mant will not be your heir,t but insteadt a sont who comes from your own body will bet your heir.”t
5 The Lordt took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
6 Abram believedt the Lord, and the Lordt considered his response of faitht as proof of genuine loyalty.ts
7 The Lord saidt to him, “I am the Lords who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeanss to give you this land to possess.”
8 Butt Abramt said, “O sovereign Lord,t by whatt can I know that I am to possess it?”
9 The Lordt said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”10 So Abramt took all these for him and then cut them in twot and placed each half opposite the other,ts but he did not cut the birds in half.
11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep,t and great terror overwhelmed him.t13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certaint that your descendants will be strangerst in a foreign country.t They will be enslaved and oppressedt for four hundred years.14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve.t Afterward they will come out with many possessions.15 But as for you,t you will go to your ancestorss in peace and be buried at a good old age.t
16 In the fourth generations your descendantst will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”ts
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torchs passed between the animal parts.t18 That day the Lord made a covenantt with Abram: “To your descendants I givets this land, from the river of Egypts to the great river, the Euphrates River –19 the landt of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”t