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
1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” 4#Gen 17.16,21; 18.10; 21.2. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.” 5#Rom 4.18; Heb 11.12. And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6#Rom 4.3,9,22,23; Gal 3.6. And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. 13#Acts 7.6,7. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; 14but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18#Gen 17.2,7,9-14,21. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America