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Genesis 15
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 15
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Abrahamic Covenant
15 After these events, the word of the Lord came(A) to Abram in a vision:
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”[a] 3 Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in[b] my house will be my heir.”
4 Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body[c] will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”(D)
6 Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.(E)
7 He also said to him, “I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”(F)
8 But he said, “Lord God, how can I know(G) that I will possess it?”
9 He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10 So he brought all these to Him, split them down the middle, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut up the birds.(H) 11 Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, a deep sleep(I) fell on Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.
13 Then the Lord said to Abram,(J) “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners(K) in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed[d] 400 years.(L) 14 However, I will judge the nation they serve,(M) and afterward they will go out with many possessions.(N) 15 But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.(O) 16 In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”[e](P)
17 When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring,(Q) from the brook of Egypt(R) to the Euphrates River:[f] 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:2 Hb obscure
- Genesis 15:3 Lit a son of
- Genesis 15:4 Lit loins
- Genesis 15:13 Lit will serve them and they will oppress them
- Genesis 15:16 Lit Amorites is not yet complete
- Genesis 15:18 Lit the great river, the river Euphrates
Genesis 15
1599 Geneva Bible
Genesis 15
1599 Geneva Bible
15 1 The Lord is Abram’s defense and reward. 6 He is justified by faith. 13 The servitude and deliverance out of Egypt is declared. 18 The land of Canaan is promised the fourth time.
1 After these things, the [a]word of the Lord came unto Abram in a (A)vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy buckler, and thine exceeding (B)great reward.
2 And Abram said, [b]O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of mine house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 Again Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: wherefore lo, a servant of mine house shall be mine heir.
4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir, but one that shall come out of thine own bowels, he shall be thine heir.
5 Moreover he brought him forth and said, (C)Look up now unto heaven, and tell the stars if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And Abram (D)believed the Lord, and he counted that to him for righteousness.
7 Again he said unto him, I am the Lord, that brought thee out of (E)Ur, of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to inherit it.
8 And he said, O Lord God, [c]Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 Then he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, a turtle dove also and a pigeon.
10 So he took all these unto him, and [d]divided them in the midst, and laid every piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 Then fowls fell on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 And when the sun went down, there fell an heavy sleep unto Abram: and lo, [e]a very fearful darkness fell upon him.
13 Then he said to Abram, (F)Know for a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, (G)[f]four hundred years, and shall serve them: and they entreat them evil.
14 Notwithstanding, the nation whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
15 But thou shalt go unto thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried in a good age.
16 And in the [g]fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the [h]wickedness of the Amorites is not yet full.
17 Also when the sun went down, there was a darkness: and behold, a smoking furnace, and a firebrand, which went between those pieces.
18 (H)In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land: (I)from the river of Egypt unto the great river [i]Euphrates.
19 Then Kenites, and the Kenezzites, and the Kadmonites,
20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
21 The Amorites also, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:1 Or, the Lord spake to Abram.
- Genesis 15:2 His fear was not only lest he should not have children, but lest the promise of the blessed seed should not be accomplished in him.
- Genesis 15:8 This is a particular motion of God’s Spirit, which is not lawful for all to follow, in asking signs: but was permitted to some by a peculiar motion, as to Gideon and Hezekiah.
- Genesis 15:10 This was the old custom in making covenants, Jer. 34:18, to the which God added these conditions, that Abram’s posterity should be as torn in pieces, but after they should be coupled together: also that it should be assaulted, but yet delivered.
- Genesis 15:12 Hebrew, a fear of great darkness.
- Genesis 15:13 Counting from the birth of Isaac to their departure out of Egypt: Which declareth that God will suffer his to be afflicted in this world.
- Genesis 15:16 Or, after four hundred years.
- Genesis 15:16 Though God suffer the wicked for a time, yet his vengeance falleth upon them, when the measure of their wickedness is full.
- Genesis 15:18 Hebrew, Perath.
Genesis 15
New International Version
Genesis 15
New International Version
The Lord’s Covenant With Abram
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram(A) in a vision:(B)
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(F) what can you give me since I remain childless(G) and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?(H)” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant(I) in my household(J) will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.(K)” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars(L)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.”(M)
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(N)
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out(O) of Ur of the Chaldeans(P) to give you this land to take possession of it.”(Q)
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(R) how can I know(S) that I will gain possession of it?”(T)
9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,(U) a goat and a ram, each three years old,(V) along with a dove and a young pigeon.(W)”
10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;(X) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.(Y) 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,(Z) but Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,(AA) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years(AB) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved(AC) and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out(AD) with great possessions.(AE) 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors(AF) in peace and be buried at a good old age.(AG) 16 In the fourth generation(AH) your descendants will come back here,(AI) for the sin of the Amorites(AJ) has not yet reached its full measure.”
17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch(AK) appeared and passed between the pieces.(AL) 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram(AM) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,(AN) from the Wadi[e] of Egypt(AO) to the great river, the Euphrates(AP)— 19 the land of the Kenites,(AQ) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites,(AR) Perizzites,(AS) Rephaites,(AT) 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”(AU)
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:1 Or sovereign
- Genesis 15:1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
- Genesis 15:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 15:5 Or seed
- Genesis 15:18 Or river
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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