Genesis 15
EasyEnglish Bible
The Lord's covenant with Abram
15 After this, the Lord spoke to Abram in a dream. God said, ‘Do not be afraid Abram. I will keep you safe. I myself will give you many good gifts.’
2 But Abram said, ‘Almighty Lord, there is one gift that I want. I still have no children. When I die, Eliezer of Damascus will receive everything that I have. 3 Because you have not given me any children, understand this: Everything that I have will one day belong to a servant in my house.’[a]
4 The Lord gave Abram this message: ‘No! Eliezer will not be the one who receives your things. You will have your own son. He will be the one who receives everything that you have.’
5 The Lord took Abram outside. He said to Abram, ‘Look up at the sky. Count the stars. They are too many for you to count!’ Then God said, ‘That is how many descendants you will have.’
6 Abram believed the Lord. As a result, the Lord accepted Abram as right with him.
7 The Lord also said to Abram, ‘I am the Lord. I brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to bring you to this land. I am giving it to you. It will belong to you.’ 8 But Abram said, ‘Almighty Lord, how can I be sure that this land will belong to me?’
9 The Lord said to Abram, ‘Bring a young cow, a goat and a male sheep to offer them to me. Each animal must be three years old. Also bring a dove and a young pigeon.’
10 Abram brought the three animals and the two birds to offer to God. Abram cut each animal in two pieces. He put the halves opposite each other. But he did not cut the birds in two pieces. 11 Some birds flew down to eat the animals' dead bodies. But Abram sent them away.
12 When the sun was going down, Abram started to sleep. Suddenly he became very afraid because it was dark all around him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, ‘Be sure of this: Your descendants will live in a foreign country. They will be strangers there. People will do bad things to them and they will become slaves. This will continue for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the people of that country who give them trouble. After this, your descendants will leave that country. They will take many valuable things with them. 15 But as for you, Abram, you will have a long life. When you die, you will have peace in your mind. 16 After four generations, your descendants will come back here to Canaan. At that time, I will punish the Amorites because they do very bad things. But the time has not yet arrived that I will punish them.’[b]
17 Then the sun went down and it became dark. Abram saw a pot that had coals in it. The coals were burning and making smoke. There was also a branch that burned with bright fire. These passed between the halves of the animals that Abram had cut in two pieces.[c]
18 On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram. The Lord promised, ‘I give this land to your descendants. The land starts from the river of Egypt and continues as far as the River Euphrates. 19 These people live in the land: Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.’[d]
Footnotes
- 15:3 Eliezer of Damascus was Abram's servant. Abram did not have any children. When Abram died, there was no son to continue the family.
- 15:16 The Amorites lived in Canaan. They did not worship the Lord God. They worshipped false gods. They killed children and gave them as sacrifices to these gods. God told Abram that when his descendants returned to Canaan, he would punish the Amorites at that time.
- 15:17 The fire showed that God was passing between the halves of the animals. This showed that he was making a covenant with Abram.
- 15:21 These are the people who lived in the land of Canaan that God was giving to Abram and his descendants. Abram's descendants would win against these people. Then they would take the land for themselves to live in, because God had given it to them.
Genesis 15
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero
Pangano la Mulungu ndi Abramu
15 Zitatha izi, Yehova anayankhula ndi Abramu mʼmasomphenya nati:
“Usaope Abramu.
Ine ndili ngati chishango chokutchinjiriza.
Mphotho yako idzakhala yayikulu.”
2 Koma Abramu anati, “Haa! Ambuye Yehova, mukhoza kundipatsa chiyani popeza ndikanali wopanda mwana ndipo amene adzatenge chuma changa ndi Eliezara wa ku Damasiko? 3 Inu simunandipatse ana kotero kuti wantchito wa ku nyumba kwanga ndiye amene adzalowe mʼmalo mwanga.”
4 Yehova anayankhula naye nati: “Munthu uyu sadzalowa mʼmalo mwako, koma mwana wako weniweni wamwamuna, wobereka wekha ndiye adzalowe mʼmalo mwako.” 5 Yehova anapita naye Abramu panja nati, “Tayangʼana kumwambaku, ndipo chifukwa cha chimenechi uwerenge nyenyezi ngati ungathe kuziwerenga.” Ndipo anamuwuza kuti, “Ndi mmene adzakhalire ana ako ndi zidzukulu zako.”
6 Abramu anakhulupirira Yehova, ndipo ichi chinamuchititsa kukhala wolungama.
7 Ndipo anamuwuza kuti, “Ine ndine Yehova amene ndinakuchotsa iwe ku mzinda wa Uri wa ku Akaldeya kuti ndikupatse dziko ili kuti likhale lako.”
8 Koma Abramu anati, “Haa! Ambuye Yehova, kodi ndingadziwe bwanji kuti lidzakhaladi langa?”
9 Kotero Yehova anati kwa iye, “Kanditengere kamsoti kangʼombe ka zaka zitatu, kamsoti ka mbuzi ka zaka zitatu, ndi nkhosa yayimuna ya zaka zitatu pamodzi ndi nkhunda ndi kamwana ka njiwa.”
10 Abramu anabweretsadi zonsezi nadula chilichonse pakati nʼkuzindandalika, chidutswa chilichonse kuyangʼanana ndi chinzake; koma njiwa ndi nkhunda sanazidule pakati. 11 Pamene miphamba inabwera kuti itole nyama ija, Abramu anayipirikitsa.
12 Pamene dzuwa limalowa Abramu anagona tulo tofa nato ndipo mdima wandiweyani ndi wochititsa mantha unamuphimba. 13 Tsono Yehova anati kwa iye, “Uyenera kudziwa mosakayika kuti zidzukulu zako zidzakhala alendo mʼdziko lachilendo ndipo zidzakhala akapolo ndi kuzunzidwa zaka 400. 14 Koma ndidzalanga dziko limene zidzukulu zako zidzagwireko ukapolo ndipo pambuyo pake iwo adzatulukamo ndi chuma chambiri. 15 Komabe iweyo udzamwalira mu mtendere ndi kuyikidwa mʼmanda utakalamba bwino. 16 Patapita mibado inayi, adzukulu ako adzabwereranso kuno popeza tchimo la Aamori silinafike pachimake kuti alangidwe.”
17 Dzuwa litalowa ndipo mdima utagwa, panaoneka mʼphika wofuka nthunzi ya moto ndi sakali yoyaka ndipo zinadutsa pakati pa zidutswa za nyama zija. 18 Pa tsiku limenelo, Yehova anachita pangano ndi Abramu nati, “Ndikulonjeza kuti ndidzapereka dziko ili kwa zidzukulu zako, kuchokera ku mtsinje wa ku Igupto mpaka ku mtsinje waukulu wa Yufurate. 19 Ndidzakupatsani dziko la Akeni, Akenizi, Akadimoni, 20 Ahiti, Aperezi, Arefaimu, 21 Aamori, Akanaani, Agirigasi ndi Ayebusi.”
Genesis 15
King James Version
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.
2 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?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 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.
5 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.
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
7 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.
8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
9 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.
Genesis 15
New King James Version
God’s Covenant with Abram(A)
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram (B)in a vision, saying, (C)“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your (D)shield, [a]your exceedingly (E)great reward.”
2 (F)But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, (G)seeing I [b]go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed (H)one[c] born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who (I)will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and (J)count the (K)stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, (L)“So shall your (M)descendants be.”
6 And he (N)believed in the Lord, and He (O)accounted it to him for righteousness.
7 Then He said to him, “I am the Lord, who (P)brought you out of (Q)Ur of the Chaldeans, (R)to give you this land to inherit it.”
8 And he said, “Lord God, (S)how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
9 So 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.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and (T)cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut (U)the birds in two. 11 And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 Now when the sun was going down, (V)a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly (W)that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and (X)they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve (Y)I will judge; afterward (Z)they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, (AA)you shall [d]go (AB)to your fathers in peace; (AC)you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But (AD)in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity (AE)of the Amorites (AF)is not yet complete.”
17 And 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 (AG)passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord (AH)made a covenant with Abram, saying:
(AI)“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 15:1 Or your reward shall be very great
- Genesis 15:2 am childless
- Genesis 15:3 a servant
- Genesis 15:15 Die and join your ancestors
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Word of God in Contemporary Chichewa Copyright © 2002, 2016 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Mwini © 2002, 2016 ndi Biblica, Inc.® Kugwiritsa ntchito mwachilolezo. Umwini ndi otetezedwa pa dziko lonse.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
