Gen 15 | LSB | STEP | After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”

Genesis 15

Yahweh Cuts a Covenant with Abram

1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying,

“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
^{▼▼ Or Your very great reward}Your reward shall be very great.”
2 And Abram said, “O Lord Yahweh, what will You give me, as I go on being childless, and the ^{▼▼Lit son of acquisition}heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “ ^{▼▼Lit Behold}Since You have given no seed to me, behold, ^{▼▼Lit a son of}one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “This one will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own ^{▼▼Lit inward parts}body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He brought him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your seed be.” 6 Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to ^{▼▼Or inherit}possess it.” 8 And he said, “O Lord Yahweh, how may I know that I will ^{▼▼Or inherit}possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “ ^{▼▼Lit Take}Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he ^{▼▼Lit took}brought all these to Him and split them into parts ^{▼▼Lit in the midst}down the middle and laid each part opposite the other; but he did not split apart the birds. 11 Then the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 Now it happened that when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, ^{▼▼Or a terror of great darkness}terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, ^{▼▼Lit and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them}and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved, and afterward they will come out with ^{▼▼Lit great}many possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

17 Now it happened that the sun had set, and it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram, saying,

“To your seed I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.”