Genesis 15

1 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.”

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 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.”

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

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 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.”

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

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

7 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.”

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 God, in what way may I be able to know that I will possess it?”

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

9 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.”

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

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

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

13 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.

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

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 and be buried at a good old age.

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

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

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

17 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.

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 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:

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 land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites

The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,

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

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

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

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