God’s Covenant with Abram (Romans 4:1–12; Hebrews 11:8–19)
1 Brenton And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield thee, thy reward shall be very great. BSB BSB: After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
3 Brenton And Abram said, I am grieved since thou hast given me no seed, but my home-born servant shall succeed me. BSB BSB: Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 Brenton And immediately there was a voice of the Lord to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come out of thee shall be thine heir. BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
5 Brenton And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if thou shalt be able to number them fully, and he said, Thus shall thy seed be. BSB BSB: And the LORD 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.”
6 Brenton And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. BSB BSB: Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7 Brenton And he said to him, I am God that brought thee out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give thee this land to inherit. BSB BSB: The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
God Confirms His Promise (Numbers 34:1–15; Romans 4:13–25)
8 Brenton And he said, Master and Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it? BSB BSB: But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9 Brenton And he said to him, Take for me an heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and a ram in his third year, and a dove and a pigeon. BSB BSB: And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”
10 Brenton So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide. BSB BSB: So Abram 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.
11 Brenton And birds came down upon the bodies, even upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them. BSB BSB: And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 Brenton And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and lo! a great gloomy terror falls upon him. BSB BSB: As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13 Brenton And it was said to Abram, Thou shalt surely know that thy seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Abram, “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.
14 Brenton And the nation whomsoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property. BSB BSB: But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15 Brenton But thou shalt depart to thy fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age. BSB BSB: You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
17 Brenton And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces. BSB BSB: When 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.
18 Brenton In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. BSB BSB: On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
19 Brenton The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans, BSB BSB: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 Brenton and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim, BSB BSB: Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 Brenton and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites. BSB BSB: Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”