Genesis 15
15
1After 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.
2And Abram said, O Lord GOD what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Dammesek Eliezer? 3And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to tell them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7And 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. 8And he said, O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9And 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. 10And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not. 11And the birds of prey came down upon the carcases, and Abram drove them away.
12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13And 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; 14and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.
17And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. 18In that 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: 19the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.
historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Genesis 15
15
The Abrahamic Covenant
1After these events, the word of the Lord came # 1Sm 15:10; 2Sm 7:4; 1Kg 6:11; Is 38:4; Jr 1:2 to Abram in a vision:
Do not be afraid, # Gn 26:24; Is 41:10; Jr 30:10; Lk 1:13,30 Abram.
I am your shield; # Dt 33:29; 2Sm 22:3,31; Ps 3:3; 7:10
your reward will be very great.
2But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? ” # Hb obscure 3Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in # Lit a son of my house will be my heir.”
4Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body # Lit loins will be your heir.” 5He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” # Gn 22:17; 26:4; Ex 32:13; Dt 1:10; 10:22; 1Ch 27:23; Rm 4:18; Heb 11:12
6Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. # Rm 4:3,9,22; Gl 3:6; Jms 2:23
7He also said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” # Gn 11:31; 12:1; Neh 9:7-8; Ac 7:2-4
8But he said, “Lord God, how can I know # Jdg 6:17; 2Kg 20:8; Ps 86:17; Is 7:11-13; Lk 1:18 that I will possess it? ”
9He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10So he brought all these to Him, split them down the middle, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut up the birds. # Lv 1:17 11Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was setting, a deep sleep # Gn 2:21 fell on Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.
13Then the Lord said to Abram, # Ac 7:6-7 “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners # Ex 22:21; 23:9 in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed # Lit will serve them and they will oppress them 400 years. # Ex 12:40; Gl 3:17 14However, I will judge the nation they serve, # Ex 6:6; 7:4; 12:12 and afterward they will go out with many possessions. # Ex 3:22 15But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. # Gn 25:8; 47:30 16In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” # Lit Amorites is not yet complete # Lv 18:24-28; Dn 8:23; Mt 23:32; 1Th 2:16
17When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, # Gn 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 24:7; 26:4; Nm 34:2; Dt 34:4; Jos 21:43; Neh 9:8; Ac 7:5 from the brook of Egypt # Ex 23:31; Nm 34:1-15; Dt 1:7-8; 2Kg 24:7 to the Euphrates River: # Lit the great river, the river Euphrates 19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.