Genesis 15

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield¹ and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”²

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord,³ what will you give me since⁴ I continue to be⁵ childless, and my heir⁶ is⁷ Eliezer of Damascus?”⁸ 15:3 Abram added,⁹ “Since¹⁰ you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!”¹¹

15:4 But look,¹² the word of the Lord came to him: “This man¹³ will not be your heir,¹⁴ but instead¹⁵ a son¹⁶ who comes from your own body will be¹⁷ your heir.”¹⁸ 15:5 The Lord¹⁹ took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed²⁰ the Lord, and the Lord²¹ considered his response of faith²² as proof of genuine loyalty.²³

15:7 The Lord said²⁴ to him, “I am the Lord²⁵ who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans²⁶ to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But²⁷ Abram²⁸ said, “O sovereign Lord,²⁹ by what³⁰ can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord³¹ said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram³² took all these for him and then cut them in two³³ and placed each half opposite the other,³⁴ but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep,³⁵ and great terror overwhelmed him.³⁶ 15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain³⁷ that your descendants will be strangers³⁸ in a foreign country.³⁹ They will be enslaved and oppressed⁴⁰ for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve.⁴¹ Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you,⁴² you will go to your ancestors⁴³ in peace and be buried at a good old age.⁴⁴ 15:16 In the fourth generation⁴⁵ your descendants⁴⁶ will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”⁴⁷

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch⁴⁸ passed between the animal parts.⁴⁹ 15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant⁵⁰ with Abram: “To your descendants I give⁵¹ this land, from the river of Egypt⁵² to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land⁵³ of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”⁵⁴

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