⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(A)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[a] be.”^(B)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(C)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out^(D) of Ur of the Chaldeans^(E) to give you this land to take possession of it.”^(F)

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(G) how can I know^(H) that I will gain possession of it?”^(I)

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,^(J) a goat and a ram, each three years old,^(K) along with a dove and a young pigeon.^(L)”

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;^(M) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.^{(N) 11} Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,^(O) but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(P) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(A) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(B) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(C) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(D) from the Wadi^[a] of Egypt^(E) to the great river, the Euphrates^(F)—

¹⁷ Join together in following my example,^(A) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.^{(B) 18} For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears,^(C) many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.^{(D) 19} Their destiny^(E) is destruction, their god is their stomach,^(F) and their glory is in their shame.^(G) Their mind is set on earthly things.^{(H) 20} But our citizenship^(I) is in heaven.^(J) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(K) 21} who, by the power^(L) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(M) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(N)

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for,^(O) my joy and crown, stand firm^(P) in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

The Transfiguration^(A)

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James^(B) with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.^{(C) 29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure,^[a](D) which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy,^(E) but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master,^(F) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;^(G) listen to him.”^{(H) 36} When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.^(I)