Genesis 15:8-17

New King James Version

⁸And he said, “Lord God, ^(A)how shall I know that I will inherit it?”

⁹So 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.” ¹⁰Then he brought all these to Him and ^(B)cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut ^(C)the birds in two. ¹¹And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹²Now when the sun was going down, ^(D)a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. ¹³Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly ^(E)that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and ^(F)they will afflict them four hundred years. ¹⁴And also the nation whom they serve ^(G)I will judge; afterward ^(H)they shall come out with great possessions. ¹⁵Now as for you, ^(I)you shall ^[a]go ^(J)to your fathers in peace; ^(K)you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶But ^(L)in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity ^(M)of the Amorites ^(N)is not yet complete.”

¹⁷And 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 ^(O)passed between those pieces.

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Footnotes

Genesis 15:15 Die and join your ancestors

Genesis 15:8-17

New International Version

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

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

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

¹²As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(J) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years^(K) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved^(L) and mistreated there. ¹⁴But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out^(M) with great possessions.^(N) ¹⁵You, however, will go to your ancestors^(O) in peace and be buried at a good old age.^(P) ¹⁶In the fourth generation^(Q) your descendants will come back here,^(R) for the sin of the Amorites^(S) has not yet reached its full measure.”