Gen 15 | NASB1995 | STEP | After these things the word of the Lord 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

Abram Promised a Son

1 After these things ^athe word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, ^b“Do not fear, Abram,
I am ^ca shield to you;
^{▼▼ Or Your very great reward}Your ^ereward shall be very great.”

2 Abram said, “O Lord ^{▼▼ Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord}God, what will You give me, since I ^{▼▼ Lit go}am 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 ^{▼▼ Lit seed}offspring to me, ^{▼▼ Lit and behold, a son of}one ^lborn in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; ^mbut one who will come forth from your own ^{▼▼ Lit inward parts}body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and ^ocount the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, ^p“So shall your ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants be.” 6 ^rThen he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of ^sUr of the Chaldeans, to ^tgive you this land to ^{▼▼ Or inherit}possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord ^{▼▼ Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord}God, ^whow 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 ^aacut them ^{▼▼ Lit in the midst}in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he ^acdid not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

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

17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which ^appassed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ^aq“To your ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants I have given this land,
From ^asthe river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 ^atthe 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.”