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Genesis 15
Contemporary English Version
Genesis 15
Contemporary English Version
The Lord's Promise to Abram
15 Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.”
2 But Abram answered, “Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.[a] 3 You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything.”
4 The Lord replied, “No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.” 5 (A) Then the Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have.” 6 (B) Abram believed the Lord, so the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.
The Lord Makes Another Promise to Abram
7 The Lord said to Abram, “I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land.”
8 Abram asked, “Lord God, how can I know the land will be mine?”
9 Then the Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.”
10 Abram obeyed the Lord. Then he cut[b] the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half. 11 And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away.
12 (C) As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening. 13-15 (D) Then the Lord said:
Abram, you will live to an old age and die in peace.
But I solemnly promise that your descendants will live as foreigners in a land that doesn't belong to them. They will be forced into slavery and abused for 400 years. But I will terribly punish the nation that enslaves them, and they will leave with many possessions.
16 Four generations later,[c] your descendants will return here and take this land, because only then will the people who live here[d] be so sinful that they deserve to be punished.
17 Sometime after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot[e] and a flaming fire passed between the two halves of each animal. 18 (E) At that time the Lord made an agreement with Abram and told him:
I will give your descendants the land east of the Shihor River[f] on the border of Egypt as far as the Euphrates River. 19 They will possess the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Footnotes
- 15.2 And … own: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 15.10 cut: In Hebrew “cut” sounds something like “agreement.” What follows shows that the Lord is making an agreement with Abram.
- 15.16 Four generations later: This may refer to the “400 years” of verses 13-15.
- 15.16 people who live here: The Hebrew text has “Amorites,” a name sometimes used of the people who lived in Palestine before the Israelites.
- 15.17 smoking cooking pot: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. The smoke and fire represent the presence of the Lord.
- 15.18 Shihor River: See Joshua 13.2-7.
Genesis 15
New International Version
Genesis 15
New International Version
The Lord’s Covenant With Abram
15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram(A) in a vision:(B)
2 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)” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant(I) in my household(J) will be my heir.”
4 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)” 5 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)
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(N)
7 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)
8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(R) how can I know(S) that I will gain possession of it?”(T)
9 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
- Genesis 15:1 Or sovereign
- Genesis 15:1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
- Genesis 15:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Genesis 15:5 Or seed
- Genesis 15:18 Or river
Genesis 15
English Standard Version
Genesis 15
English Standard Version
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.” 2 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?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and (C)a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 And (G)he believed the Lord, and (H)he counted it to him as righteousness.
7 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.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, (K)how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 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
- Genesis 15:2 Or I shall die
- Genesis 15:4 Hebrew what will come out of your own loins
- Genesis 15:18 Or have given
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.