15 After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I’m your shield. Your reward will be grand!”

2-3 Abram said, “God, Master, what use are your gifts as long as I’m childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?” Abram continued, “See, you’ve given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all.”

Then God’s Message came: “Don’t worry, he won’t be your heir; a son from your body will be your heir.”

Then he took him outside and said, “Look at the sky. Count the stars. Can you do it? Count your descendants! You’re going to have a big family, Abram!”

And he believed! Believed God! God declared him “Set-Right-with-God.”

God continued, “I’m the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own.”

Abram said, “Master God, how am I to know this, that it will all be mine?”

God said, “Bring me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.”

10-12 He brought all these animals to him, split them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t split the birds. Vultures swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram scared them off. As the sun went down a deep sleep overcame Abram and then a sense of dread, dark and heavy.

13-16 God said to Abram, “Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they’ll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I’ll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you’ll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites.”

17-21 When the sun was down and it was dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch moved between the split carcasses. That’s when God made a covenant with Abram: “I’m giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria—the country of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

* * *

God's Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: (A)“Fear not, Abram, I am (B)your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and (C)a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; (D)your very own son[b] shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and (E)number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, (F)“So shall your offspring be.” And (G)he believed the Lord, and (H)he counted it to him as righteousness.

And he said to him, “I am the Lord who (I)brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans (J)to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, (K)how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, (L)cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But (M)he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a (N)deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain (O)that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and (P)they will be afflicted for (Q)four hundred years. 14 But (R)I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward (S)they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; (T)you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for (U)the iniquity of the Amorites (V)is not yet complete.”

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, (W)“To your offspring I give[c] this land, from (X)the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:2 Or I shall die
  2. Genesis 15:4 Hebrew what will come out of your own loins
  3. Genesis 15:18 Or have given

Ang Kasabotan sa Dios ug ni Abram

15 Human niadto, nakigsulti ang Ginoo kang Abram pinaagi sa usa ka panan-awon. Miingon siya, “Abram, ayaw kahadlok tungod kay panalipdan ko ikaw ug hatagan ug dako nga ganti.” Apan miingon si Abram, “O Ginoong Dios, unsay pulos sa imong iganti kanako kon hangtod karon wala pa akoy anak, ug ang mahimo kong manunod mao si Eliezer nga taga-Damascus? Tungod kay wala mo ako hatagi ug anak, si Eliezer nga usa sa akong mga sulugoon mao ang manunod sa akong mga kabtangan.” Miingon ang Ginoo kaniya, “Dili si Eliezer ang manunod sa imong mga kabtangan kondili ang imo gayong kaugalingong anak.” Unya gidala siya sa Ginoo sa gawas ug giingnan, “Tan-awa ang mga bitoon sa langit; ihapa kon maihap mo. Sama usab niana kadaghan ang mahimo mong mga kaliwat.” Mituo si Abram sa Ginoo, ug tungod sa iyang pagtuo giisip siya nga matarong.[a]

Miingon pa gayod ang Ginoo kang Abram, “Ako ang Ginoo nga nagasugo kanimo sa pagbiya sa Ur nga sakop sa pagdumala sa mga Kaldeanhon[b] aron ihatag kanimo kining yutaa ug imong mapanag-iya.” Apan miingon si Abram, “O Ginoong Dios, unsaon ko pagkahibalo nga maangkon ko kini?” Mitubag ang Ginoo, “Dad-i ako dinhi ug usa ka dumalagang baka, usa ka bayeng kanding, ug usa ka hamtong nga laking karnero, nga ang matag usa tulo ka tuig ang kagulangon. Pagdala usab ug usa ka tukmo ug usa ka salampati.” 10 Busa gidala kining tanan ni Abram ngadto sa Ginoo. Unya gipangtunga niya kini ug giplastar nga nagaatubangay ang isigka-pikas niini. Apan ang tukmo ug ang salampati wala niya tungaa. 11 Mitugpa sa pinikas nga mga mananap ang mga langgam nga nagapangdagit, apan giabog sila ni Abram.

12 Sa dihang gasalop na ang adlaw, nahinanok pag-ayo si Abram ug may makalilisang nga kangitngit nga mitabon kaniya. 13 Unya miingon ang Ginoo kang Abram, “Sa pagkatinuod, ang imong mga kaliwat mahimong mga dumuduong sa laing nasod. Mahimo silang mga ulipon didto ug daog-daogon sulod sa 400 ka tuig. 14 Apan silotan ko ang nasod nga moulipon kanila. Ug unya mobiya ang imong mga kaliwat gikan didto dala ang daghang kabtangan. 15 Apan ikaw Abram, hatagan ko ug taas nga kinabuhi; mamatay ka sa katigulangon nga may kalinaw. 16 Molabay una ang upat ka henerasyon ayha pa makabalik ang imong mga kaliwat dinhi, tungod kay dili pa igo ang pagpakasala sa mga Amorihanon aron silotan sila ug papahawaon niini nga yuta.”

17 Sa dihang nakasalop na ang adlaw ug ngitngit na, kalit lang nga nakita ni Abram ang usa ka kolon nga naga-aso ug sulo nga nagasiga nga miagi taliwala sa pinikas nga mga mananap. 18 Niana gayod nga adlaw, nagbuhat ang Ginoo ug kasabotan kang Abram. Miingon siya, “Ihatag ko sa imong mga kaliwat kining yutaa—gikan sa suba sa utlanan sa Ehipto paingon sa dako nga suba nga mao ang Eufrates. 19 Kini nga yuta mao karon ang gipuy-an sa mga Kenihanon, Keniznon, Kadmonhon, 20-21 Hitihanon, Perisihanon, Refaimnon, Amorihanon, Canaanhon, Gergasihanon, ug mga Jebusihanon.”

Footnotes

  1. 15:6 giisip siya nga matarong: o, gipakamatarong siya sa Ginoo.
  2. 15:7 Kaldeanhon: Mga katawhan nga nagapuyo kaniadto sa habagatang bahin sa Babilonia. Sa kadugayan nahimong Kaldeanhon ang tawag sa mga taga-Babilonia.

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram(A) in a vision:(B)

“Do not be afraid,(C) Abram.
    I am your shield,[a](D)
    your very great reward.[b](E)

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) And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant(I) in my household(J) will be my heir.”

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) 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)

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(N)

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)

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(R) how can I know(S) that I will gain possession of it?”(T)

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

  1. Genesis 15:1 Or sovereign
  2. Genesis 15:1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
  3. Genesis 15:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 15:5 Or seed
  5. Genesis 15:18 Or river