Genesis 15
15
The LORD’s Fourth Promise to Abram
1Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said,
“Abram, don’t be afraid.
I am your shield.
Your reward will be very great.” #15:1 Or “I am your shield, your very great reward.”
2Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household. 3You have given me no children, so this member of my household will be my heir.”
4Suddenly, the Lord spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.” 5He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6Then Abram believed the Lord, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abram’s approval by the Lord. 7Then the Lord said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land so that you will take possession of it.”
8Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, how can I be certain that I will take possession of it?”
9He answered Abram, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a mourning dove, and a pigeon.” 10So Abram brought all these animals to him. He cut each of them in half and laid each half opposite the other. However, he did not cut the birds in half.
11When birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was just about to set, a deep sleep—a dreadful, deep darkness—came over Abram.
13God said to Abram, “You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years. 14But I will punish the nation they serve, and after that they will come out with many possessions. 15But you will die in peace and be buried at a very old age. 16In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, because the sin of the Amorites will not have run its course until then.”
17The sun had gone down, and it was dark. Suddenly a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the animal pieces. 18At that time the Lord made a promise #15:18 Or “covenant.” to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates. 19It is the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 15
15
The Abrahamic Covenant
1After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, # Ge 26:24 Abram.
I am your shield, # Ps 3:3
your exceedingly great reward. # 15:1 Or your reward will be great. ”
2But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I am childless # Ac 7:5 and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said, “Behold, You have not given me any children, my heir is a servant born in my house.”
4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but a son that is from your own body will be your heir.” # Ge 17:16 5He brought him outside and said, “Look up toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So will your descendants be.” # Ge 22:17; Ex 32:13; Dt 1:10
6Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. # Ps 106:31; Ro 4:3; Jas 2:23
7He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess # 15:7 Or inherit. it.” # Ge 12:1; Ne 9:7–8
8But Abram said, “Lord God, how may I know # Lk 1:18 that I will possess it?”
9So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10Then Abram brought all of these to Him and cut them in two and laid each piece opposite the other, # Jer 34:18–19 but he did not cut the birds in half. # Lev 1:17 11When the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. # Ge 2:21; Job 33:15 And behold, horror and great darkness fell on him. 13Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will live as strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and mistreated # Ex 1:11 for four hundred years. # Ac 7:6; Gal 3:17 14But I will judge the nation that they serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace and you will be buried at a good old age. # Job 5:26 16In the fourth generation, your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites # 1Ki 21:26 is not yet complete.”
17When the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot with a flaming torch passed between these pieces. # Ex 13:22 18On that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, # Ge 12:7 from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates River # Nu 34:5 — 19the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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