God’s Covenant with Abram (Romans 4:1–12; Hebrews 11:8–19)
1 DBY After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward. 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 DBY And Abram said, Lo, to me thou hast given no seed, and behold, a son of my house will be mine heir. BSB BSB: Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 DBY And behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that will come forth out of thy body 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 DBY And he led him out, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So 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 DBY And he believed Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. BSB BSB: Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7 DBY And he said to him, I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to possess it. 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 DBY And he said, Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall possess it? BSB BSB: But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9 DBY And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young 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 DBY And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the half of each opposite its fellow; 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 DBY And the birds of prey came down on the carcases; and Abram scared them away. BSB BSB: And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 DBY And as the sun was just going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a horror, a great darkness, fell upon him. BSB BSB: As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13 DBY And he said to Abram, Know assuredly that thy seed will be a sojourner in a land that is not theirs, and they shall serve them; and they shall afflict 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 DBY But also that nation which they shall serve I will judge; and afterwards they shall come out with great property. BSB BSB: But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15 DBY And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried 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 DBY And it came to pass when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking furnace, and a flame of fire which passed between those 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 DBY On the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the 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 DBY the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, BSB BSB: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 DBY and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, BSB BSB: Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 DBY and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. BSB BSB: Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”