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.”

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."

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.”

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

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

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

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 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."

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 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."

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

And he believed God, and it was credited to him as 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, who brought you out of Ur Kasdim to give you this land to possess."

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

But he said, "Lord, how can I know that I will possess 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, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young 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.

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.

11 And birds descended upon the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried 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.”

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

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.

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.

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:

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:

19 the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites

the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

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

the Hethites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

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

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