Genesis 15
15
Abram Promised a Son
1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
# 15:1 Or Your very great reward Your reward shall be very great.”
2But Abram said, “Lord #15:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered LordGod, what will You give me, since I #15:2 Lit goam childless, and the #15:2 Lit son of acquisitionheir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3Abram also said, “#15:3 Lit BeholdSince You have given me no #15:3 Lit seedson, #15:3 Lit then behold, a son of myone who has been born in my house is my heir.” 4Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come from your own #15:4 Lit inward partsbody shall be your heir.” 5And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your #15:5 Lit seeddescendants be.” 6Then he believed in the Lord; and He #15:6 Or imputedcredited it to him as righteousness. 7And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to #15:7 Or inheritpossess it.” 8But he said, “Lord #15:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered LordGod, how may I know that I will #15:8 Or inheritpossess it?” 9So He said to him, “#15:9 Lit TakeBring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10Then he #15:10 Lit tookbrought all these to Him and cut them #15:10 Lit in the midstin two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11And birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, #15:12 Or a terror of great darknessterror and great darkness fell upon him. 13Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your #15:13 Lit seeddescendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, #15:13 Lit and shall serve them; and they shall afflict themwhere they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. 14But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with #15:14 Lit greatmany possessions. 15As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the wrongdoing of the Amorite is not yet complete.”
17Now it came about, when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch appeared which passed between these pieces. 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,
“To your #15:18 Lit seeddescendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
19the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, 20the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, 21the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.”
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Genesis 15
15
1 AFTER THESE things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great.
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what can You give me, since I am going on [from this world] childless and he who shall be the owner and heir of my house is this [steward] Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram continued, Look, You have given me no child; and [a servant] born in my house is my heir.
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, This man shall not be your heir, but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.
5 And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars–if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be. [Heb. 11:12.]
6 And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God). [Rom. 4:3, 18-22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23.]
7 And He said to him, I am the [same] Lord, Who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees to give you this land as an inheritance.
8 But he [Abram] said, Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 And He said to him, Bring to Me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
10 And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle [into halves] and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.
11 And when the birds of prey swooped down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram, and a horror (a terror, a shuddering fear) of great darkness assailed and oppressed him.
13 And [God] said to Abram, Know positively that your descendants will be strangers dwelling as temporary residents in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and they will be slaves there and will be afflicted and oppressed for 400 years. [Fulfilled in Exod. 12:40.]
14 But I will bring judgment on that nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. [Acts 7:6, 7.]
15 And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old (hoary) age.
16 And in the fourth generation they [your descendants] shall come back here [to Canaan] again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full and complete. [Josh. 24:15.]
17 When the sun had gone down and a [thick] darkness had come on, behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces.
18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates–the land of
19 The Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20 The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
21 The Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
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