上帝與亞伯蘭立約

15 這些事以後,耶和華在異象中對亞伯蘭說:「亞伯蘭,你不用害怕,我是你的盾牌,我要大大賞賜你。」 亞伯蘭說:「主耶和華啊,你要賜我什麼呢?我沒有兒子,繼承我家業的人是大馬士革人以利以謝。」 亞伯蘭又說:「你沒有賜我兒子,我家中的僕人將繼承我的產業。」 耶和華又對他說:「這人不會成為你的繼承人,你親生的兒子才是你的繼承人。」 耶和華把亞伯蘭帶到外面,對他說:「你抬頭看看天空,數數繁星,你能數得盡嗎?你的後裔必這麼多。」 亞伯蘭信耶和華,耶和華便算他為義人。

耶和華又對他說:「我是耶和華,我帶你離開了迦勒底的吾珥,為要把這片土地賜給你。」 亞伯蘭說:「主耶和華啊,我怎麼知道我會得到這片土地呢?」 耶和華說:「你要給我預備三歲的母牛、母山羊和公綿羊各一頭,斑鳩和雛鴿各一隻。」 10 亞伯蘭一一照辦,把牲畜都劈成兩半,一半對著一半地擺列,但沒有劈開雀鳥。 11 有鷙鳥飛到那些屍體上,亞伯蘭趕走了牠們。

12 太陽下山的時候,亞伯蘭睡得很沉,忽然有可怕的黑暗籠罩著他。 13 耶和華對他說:「你要清楚知道,你的後裔必流落異鄉,被奴役、虐待四百年。 14 但我必懲罰奴役他們的國家,之後他們必帶著大量的財物離開那裡。 15 而你必享長壽,安然離世。 16 到了第四代[a],你的子孫必重回此地,因為亞摩利人現在還沒有惡貫滿盈。」

17 太陽下山後,大地黑暗,突然有冒煙的火爐和點著的火炬在肉塊中經過。 18 就在那天,耶和華跟亞伯蘭立約,說:「我必將這片土地賜給你的後代,使他們得到從埃及河到幼發拉底河一帶的土地, 19 就是基尼人、基尼洗人、甲摩尼人、 20 赫人、比利洗人、利乏音人、 21 亞摩利人、迦南人、革迦撒人和耶布斯人的土地。」

Footnotes

  1. 15·16 」希伯來文可能指人一生的年日。

15 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

And 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, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Elie′zer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.

And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chalde′ans, to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; 14 but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites 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, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphra′tes, 19 the land of the Ken′ites, the Ken′izzites, the Kad′monites, 20 the Hittites, the Per′izzites, the Reph′aim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Gir′gashites and the Jeb′usites.”