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 so whanne these thingis weren don, the word of the Lord was maad to Abram bi a visioun, and seide, Abram, nyle thou drede, Y am thi defender, and thi meede is ful greet.

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 seide, Lord God, what schalt thou yyue to me? Y schal go with oute fre children, and this Damask, sone of Elieser, the procuratour of myn hous, schal be myn eir.

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

And Abram addide, Sotheli thou hast not youe seed to me, and, lo! my borun seruaunt schal be myn eir.

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 anoon the word of the Lord was maad to hym, and seide, This schal not be thin eir, but thou schalt haue hym eir, that schal go out of thi wombe.

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 the Lord ledde out Abram, and seide to hym, Biholde thou heuene, and noumbre thou sterris, if thou maist. And the Lord seide to Abram, So thi seed schal be.

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

Abram bileuede to God, and it was arettid to hym to riytfulnesse.

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

And God seide to hym, Y am the Lord, that ladde thee out of Vr of Caldeis, that Y schulde yyue this lond to thee, and thou schuldist haue it in possessioun.

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

And Abram seide, Lord God, wherbi may I wite that Y schal welde 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 the Lord answerde, and seide, Take thou to me a cow of thre yeer, and a geet of thre yeer, and a ram of thre yeer, a turtle also, and a culuer.

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.

Which took alle these thingis, and departide tho bi the myddis, and settide euer eithir partis ech ayens other; but he departide not the briddis.

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

And foulis camen doun on the careyns, and Abram drof hem awey.

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

And whanne the sunne was gon doun, drede felde on Abram, and a greet hidousenesse and derk asaylide 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 seid to hym, Wite thou bifore knowinge, that thi seed schal be pilgrim foure hundrid yeer in a lond not his owne, and thei schulen make hem suget to seruage, and thei schulen turment hem;

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

netheles Y schal deme the folk to whom thei schulen serue; and aftir these thingis thei schulen go out with greet catel.

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

Forsothe thou schalt go to thi fadris in pees, and schalt be biried in good age.

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

Sotheli in the fourthe generacioun thei schulen turne ayen hidir, for the wickidnesses of Amoreis ben not yit fillid, `til to present tyme.

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.

Therfor whanne the sunne was gon doun, a derk myst was maad, and a furneis smokynge apperide, and a laumpe of fier, and passide thorou tho departingis.

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 dai the Lord made a couenaunt of pees with Abram, and seide, Y schal yyue to thi seed this lond, fro the ryuer of Egipt til to the greet ryuer Eufrates; Cyneis,

19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

and Cyneseis, and Cethmoneis, and Etheis,

20 the Hethites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

and Fereseis, and Raphaym, and Amorreis,

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

and Cananeis, and Gergeseis, and Jebuseis.