Genesis 15

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great."

And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield you, your reward shall be very great.

2 Abram said, "Lord, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

And Abram said, Master [and] Lord, what will you give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus [is mine heir.]

3 Then Abram said, "Look, to me you have given no offspring, and look, one born in my house is my heir."

And Abram said, [I am grieved] since you have given me no seed, but my home-born [servant] shall succeed me.

4 And look, the word of God came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir."

And immediately there was a voice of the Lord to him, saying, This shall not be your heir; but he that shall come out of you shall be your heir.

5 And he brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And he said to him, "So will your descendants be."

And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if you shall be able to number them fully, and he said, Thus shall your seed be.

6 And he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

7 And he said to him, "I am God, who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to possess."

And he said to him, I am God that brought you out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give you this land to inherit.

8 But he said, "Lord, how can I know that I will possess it?"

And he said, Master [and] Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

And he said to him, Take for me an heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and a ram in his third year, and a dove and a pigeon.

10 He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and placed each half opposite the other; but he did not divide the birds.

So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide.

11 And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

And birds came down upon the bodies, [even] upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them.

12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And look, a terror of great darkness fell on him.

And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and behold! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.

13 And he said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs; and they will be enslaved there. And they will oppress them four hundred years.

And it was said to Abram, You shall surely know that your seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their won, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years.

14 But I will also judge that nation whom they will serve. And afterward they will come out with many possessions.

And the nation whoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property.

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

But you shall depart to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.

16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."

And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up, even until now.

17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, look, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.

18 On that day God made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Perath:

In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.

19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,

20 the Hethites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.