Genesis 15
Open in the reader1After these events, the word of He-Who-Is came to Exalted-Father in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Exalted-Father. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
2But Exalted-Father replied, “O Lord He-Who-Is, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is My-God-Is-Help of Damascus?”
3Exalted-Father continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4Then the word of He-Who-Is came to Exalted-Father, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
5And He-Who-Is took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6Exalted-Father believed He-Who-Is, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7He-Who-Is also told him, “I am He-Who-Is, who brought you out of Ur of the Kasdites to give you this land to possess.”
8But Exalted-Father replied, “Lord He-Who-Is, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9And He-Who-Is said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”
10So Exalted-Father brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.
11And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Exalted-Father drove them away.
12As the sun was setting, Exalted-Father fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13Then He-Who-Is said to Exalted-Father, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Mountaineers is not yet complete.”
17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
18On that day He-Who-Is made a covenant with Exalted-Father, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Two-Straits to the great River Rushing—
19the land of the Smith-Ones, Hunter-Peoples, Kadmonites,
20Son-of-Terrors, Open-Country-Dwellers, Rephaim,
21Mountaineers, Humbled-Ones, Girgashites, and Trodden-Ones.”