Genesis 15
Common English Bible
God’s covenant with Abram
15 After these events, the Lord’s word came to Abram in a vision, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your protector.[a] Your reward will be very great.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you possibly give me, since I still have no children? The head of my household is Eliezer, a man from Damascus.”[b] 3 He continued, “Since you haven’t given me any children, the head of my household will be my heir.”
4 The Lord’s word came immediately to him, “This man will not be your heir. Your heir will definitely be your very own biological child.” 5 Then he brought Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you think you can count them.” He continued, “This is how many children you will have.” 6 Abram trusted the Lord, and the Lord recognized Abram’s high moral character.
7 He said to Abram, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”
8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how do I know that I will actually possess it?”
9 He said, “Bring me a three-year-old female calf, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He took all of these animals, split them in half, and laid the halves facing each other, but he didn’t split the birds. 11 When vultures swooped down on the carcasses, Abram waved them off. 12 After the sun set, Abram slept deeply. A terrifying and deep darkness settled over him.
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Have no doubt that your descendants will live as immigrants in a land that isn’t their own, where they will be oppressed slaves for four hundred years. 14 But after I punish the nation they serve, they will leave it with great wealth. 15 As for you, you will join your ancestors in peace and be buried after a good long life. 16 The fourth generation will return here since the Amorites’ wrongdoing won’t have reached its peak until then.”
17 After the sun had set and darkness had deepened, a smoking vessel with a fiery flame passed between the split-open animals. 18 That day the Lord cut a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land, from Egypt’s river to the great Euphrates, 19 together with the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:1 Or shield or benefactor
- Genesis 15:2 Heb uncertain
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 King James Version
God’s Covenant with Abram(A)
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram (B)in a vision, saying, (C)“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your (D)shield, [a]your exceedingly (E)great reward.”
2 (F)But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, (G)seeing I [b]go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed (H)one[c] born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who (I)will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and (J)count the (K)stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, (L)“So shall your (M)descendants be.”
6 And he (N)believed in the Lord, and He (O)accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who (P)brought you out of (Q)Ur of the Chaldeans, (R)to give you this land to inherit it.”
8 And he said, “Lord God, (S)how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
9 So He said to him, “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 brought all these to Him and (T)cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut (U)the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, (V)a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly (W)that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and (X)they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve (Y)I will judge; afterward (Z)they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, (AA)you shall [d]go (AB)to your fathers in peace; (AC)you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But (AD)in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity (AE)of the Amorites (AF)is not yet complete.”
17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that (AG)passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord (AH)made a covenant with Abram, saying:
(AI)“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:1 Or your reward shall be very great
- Genesis 15:2 am childless
- Genesis 15:3 a servant
- Genesis 15:15 Die and join your ancestors
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
