Genesis, 15

1. Some time after these events, this word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great."

1. Some time later, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram! I am your shield and shall give you a very great reward.

2. But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"

2. 'Lord Yahweh,' Abram replied, 'what use are your gifts, as I am going on my way childless? . . .

3. Abram continued, "See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir."

3. Since you have given me no offspring,' Abram continued, 'a member of my household will be my heir.'

4. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir."

4. Then Yahweh's word came to him in reply, 'Such a one will not be your heir; no, your heir will be the issue of your own body.'

5. He took him outside and said: "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."

5. Then taking him outside, he said, 'Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Just so will your descendants be,' he told him.

6. Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

6. Abram put his faith in Yahweh and this was reckoned to him as uprightness.

7. He then said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession."

7. He then said to him, 'I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldaeans to give you this country as your possession.'

8. "O Lord GOD," he asked, "How am I to know that I shall possess it?"

8. 'Lord Yahweh,' Abram replied, 'how can I know that I shall possess it?'

9. He answered him, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon."

9. He said to him, 'Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.'

10. He brought him all these, split them in two, and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not cut up.

10. He brought him all these, split the animals down the middle and placed each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.

11. Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram stayed with them.

11. And whenever birds of prey swooped down on the carcases, Abram drove them off.

12. As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

12. Now, as the sun was on the point of setting, a trance fell on Abram, and a deep dark dread descended on him.

13. Then the LORD said to Abram: "Know for certain that your descendants shall be aliens in a land not their own, where they shall be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

13. Then Yahweh said to Abram, 'Know this for certain, that your descendants will be exiles in a land not their own, and be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

14. But I will bring judgment on the nation they must serve, and in the end they will depart with great wealth.

14. But I shall bring judgement on the nation that enslaves them and after this they will leave, with many possessions.

15. You, however, shall join your forefathers in peace; you shall be buried at a contented old age.

15. For your part, you will join your ancestors in peace; you will be buried at a happy old age.

16. In the fourth time-span the others shall come back here; the wickedness of the Amorites will not have reached its full measure until then."

16. In the fourth generation they will come back here, for until then the iniquity of the Amorites will not have reached its full extent.'

17. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking brazier and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces.

17. When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passing between the animals' pieces.

18. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River (the Euphrates),

18. That day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram in these terms: 'To your descendants I give this country, from the River of Egypt to the Great River, the River Euphrates,

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

19. the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20. the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

20. the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

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

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