15 After this, the Lord spoke to Abram in a dream. God said, ‘Do not be afraid Abram. I will keep you safe. I myself will give you many good gifts.’
2 But Abram said, ‘Almighty Lord , there is one gift that I want. I still have no children. When I die, Eliezer of Damascus will receive everything that I have. 3 Because you have not given me any children, understand this: Everything that I have will one day belong to a servant in my house.’ [ a ]
4 The Lord gave Abram this message: ‘No! Eliezer will not be the one who receives your things. You will have your own son. He will be the one who receives everything that you have.’
5 The Lord took Abram outside. He said to Abram, ‘Look up at the sky. Count the stars. They are too many for you to count!’ Then God said, ‘That is how many descendants you will have.’
6 Abram believed the Lord . As a result, the Lord accepted Abram as right with him.
7 The Lord also said to Abram, ‘I am the Lord . I brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to bring you to this land. I am giving it to you. It will belong to you.’ 8 But Abram said, ‘Almighty Lord , how can I be sure that this land will belong to me?’
9 The Lord said to Abram, ‘Bring a young cow, a goat and a male sheep to offer them to me. Each animal must be three years old. Also bring a dove and a young pigeon.’
10 Abram brought the three animals and the two birds to offer to God. Abram cut each animal in two pieces. He put the halves opposite each other. But he did not cut the birds in two pieces. 11 Some birds flew down to eat the animals' dead bodies. But Abram sent them away.
12 When the sun was going down, Abram started to sleep. Suddenly he became very afraid because it was dark all around him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, ‘Be sure of this: Your descendants will live in a foreign country. They will be strangers there. People will do bad things to them and they will become slaves. This will continue for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the people of that country who give them trouble. After this, your descendants will leave that country. They will take many valuable things with them. 15 But as for you, Abram, you will have a long life. When you die, you will have peace in your mind. 16 After four generations, your descendants will come back here to Canaan. At that time, I will punish the Amorites because they do very bad things. But the time has not yet arrived that I will punish them.’ [ b ]
17 Then the sun went down and it became dark. Abram saw a pot that had coals in it. The coals were burning and making smoke. There was also a branch that burned with bright fire. These passed between the halves of the animals that Abram had cut in two pieces. [ c ]
18 On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram. The Lord promised, ‘I give this land to your descendants. The land starts from the river of Egypt and continues as far as the River Euphrates. 19 These people live in the land: Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.’ [ d ]
15 After all these things happened, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God said, “Abram, don’t be afraid. I will defend you and give you a great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God , there is nothing you can give me that will make me happy, because I have no son. My slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die.” 3 Abram said, “You have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will get everything I have.”
4 Then the Lord spoke to Abram and said, “That slave will not be the one to get what you have. You will have a son who will get everything you own.”
5 Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. See the many stars. There are so many you cannot count them. Your family will be like that.”
6 Abram believed the Lord , and because of this faith the Lord accepted him as one who has done what is right. 7 He said to Abram, “I am the Lord who led you from Ur of Babylonia. [ a ] I did this so that I could give you this land. You will own this land.”
8 But Abram said, “Lord God , how can I be sure that I will get this land?”
9 God said to Abram, “We will make an agreement. Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram brought all these to God. Abram killed these animals and cut each of them into two pieces. Then he laid each half across from the other half. He did not cut the birds into two pieces. 11 Later, large birds flew down to eat the animals, but Abram chased them away.
12 The sun began to go down and Abram got very sleepy. While he was asleep, a very terrible darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “You should know this: Your descendants will live in a country that is not their own. They will be strangers there. The people there will make them slaves and be cruel to them for 400 years. 14 But then I will punish the nation that made them slaves. Your people will leave that land, and they will take many good things with them.
15 “You yourself will live to be very old. You will die in peace and will be buried with your family. 16 After four generations your people will come to this land again and defeat the Amorites. That will happen in the future because the Amorites are not yet guilty enough to lose their land.”
17 After the sun went down, it got very dark. The dead animals were still on the ground, each animal cut into two pieces. Then a smoking firepot [ b ] and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the dead animals. [ c ]
18 So on that day the Lord made a promise and an agreement with Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. I will give them the land between the River of Egypt [ d ] and the great river Euphrates. 19 This is the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
15 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this 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 the Lord came unto him, saying, This 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 tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the Lord ; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger 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 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites 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 burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
18 In the same day the Lord 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 Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
15 After these things ( A ) the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“ ( B ) Do not fear, Abram,
I am ( C ) a shield to you;
[ a ] Your ( D ) reward shall be very great.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord [ b ] God , what will You give me, since I [ c ] am childless, and the [ d ] heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram also said, “ [ e ] Since You have given me no [ f ] son, [ g ] one who has been ( E ) born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; ( F ) but one who will come from your own [ h ] body shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and ( G ) count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “ ( H ) So shall your [ i ] descendants be.” 6 ( I ) Then he believed in the Lord ; and He [ j ] credited it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of ( J ) Ur of the Chaldeans, to ( K ) give you this land to [ k ] possess it.” 8 But he said, “Lord [ l ] God , ( L ) how may I know that I will [ m ] possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “ [ n ] Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he [ o ] brought all these to Him and ( M ) cut them [ p ] in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he ( N ) did not cut the birds. 11 And birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, ( O ) a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, [ q ] terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that ( P ) your [ r ] descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, [ s ] where ( Q ) they will be enslaved and oppressed for ( R ) four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out ( S ) with [ t ] many possessions. 15 As for you, ( T ) you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 Then in ( U ) the fourth generation they will return here, for ( V ) the wrongdoing of the Amorite is not yet complete.”
17 Now it came about, when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch appeared which ( W ) passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,
“ ( X ) To your [ u ] descendants I have given this land,
From ( Y ) the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 ( Z ) the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, 20 the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.”
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram ( A ) in a vision: ( B )
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord , ( F ) what can you give me since I remain childless ( G ) and the one who will inherit [ c ] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? ( H ) ” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant ( I ) in my household ( J ) will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. ( K ) ” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars ( L ) —if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring [ d ] be.” ( M )
6 Abram believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness. ( N )
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord , who brought you out ( O ) of Ur of the Chaldeans ( P ) to give you this land to take possession of it.” ( Q )
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord , ( R ) how can I know ( S ) that I will gain possession of it?” ( T )
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, ( U ) a goat and a ram, each three years old, ( V ) along with a dove and a young pigeon. ( W ) ”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; ( X ) the birds, however, he did not cut in half. ( Y ) 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, ( Z ) but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, ( AA ) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years ( AB ) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved ( AC ) and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out ( AD ) with great possessions. ( AE ) 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors ( AF ) in peace and be buried at a good old age. ( AG ) 16 In the fourth generation ( AH ) your descendants will come back here, ( AI ) for the sin of the Amorites ( AJ ) has not yet reached its full measure.”
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch ( AK ) appeared and passed between the pieces. ( AL ) 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram ( AM ) and said, “To your descendants I give this land, ( AN ) from the Wadi [ e ] of Egypt ( AO ) to the great river, the Euphrates ( AP ) — 19 the land of the Kenites, ( AQ ) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, ( AR ) Perizzites, ( AS ) Rephaites, ( AT ) 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” ( AU )
