Gen 15 | NASB2020 | 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,

“ ^bDo not fear, Abram,
I am ^ca shield to you;
^{▼▼Or Your very great reward}Your ^ereward shall be very great.”
2 But Abram said, “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 Abram also said, “ ^{▼▼Lit Behold}Since You have given me no ^{▼▼Lit seed}son, ^{▼▼Lit then behold, a son of my}one who has been ^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 from your own ^{▼▼Lit inward parts}body 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, “ ^pSo shall your ^{▼▼Lit seed}descendants be.” 6 ^rThen he believed in the Lord; and He ^{▼▼Or imputed}credited it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of ^tUr of the Chaldeans, to ^ugive you this land to ^{▼▼Or inherit}possess it.” 8 But he said, “Lord ^{▼▼Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord}God, ^xhow 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, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he ^{▼▼Lit took}brought all these to Him and ^abcut them ^{▼▼Lit in the midst}in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he ^addid not cut the birds. 11 And birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 Now when the sun was going down, ^aea 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 ^agyour ^{▼▼Lit seed}descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, ^{▼▼Lit and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them}where ^ajthey will be enslaved and oppressed for ^akfour hundred years. 14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out ^alwith ^{▼▼Lit great}many possessions. 15 As for you, ^anyou shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 Then in ^aothe fourth generation they will return here, for ^apthe wrongdoing of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

17 Now it came about, when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch appeared which ^aqpassed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,

“ ^arTo your ^{▼▼Lit seed}descendants I have given this land,
From ^atthe river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 ^authe land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, 20 the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.”