God’s Covenant with Abram (Romans 4:1–12; Hebrews 11:8–19)
1 UST After that, Yahweh said to Abram in a vision,“Abram, do not be afraid. I will protect you,{ and} I will give you a very 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 UST Then Abram continued,“That’ s right, you have not given me any children, so that now{ when I die},{ one of} my household servants will inherit everything I own!” BSB BSB: Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 UST But immediately Yahweh said to Abram,“{ No,} your servant{ Eliezer} will not inherit your property, rather it will be your very own{ biological} son who will inherit it.” 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 UST Then Yahweh took Abram outside{ his tent} and said{ to him},“Look{ up} at the{ night} sky and count how many stars there are, if{ in fact} you are able to count them{ all}.”{ While Abram was looking at the stars,} Yahweh said to him,“That is how many descendants you will have.” 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 UST Abram trusted Yahweh, and because of that, Yahweh considered him to be righteous. BSB BSB: Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
7 UST Then Yahweh said to him,“I am Yahweh who brought you{ here} from{ the city of} Ur that the Chaldeans rule, to give this land to you to own.” 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 UST But Abram asked{ him},“Yahweh my Master, how can I be sure that this land will be mine?” BSB BSB: But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
9 UST Yahweh replied,“Bring me a heifer, a female goat and a male sheep, each of which is three years old, as well as a 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 UST So{ the next day} Abram brought all those{ animals} to Yahweh{ and killed them}. Then he cut the animals’ bodies in half lengthwise and placed each half a short space across from the other half{ in two rows}, except for the birds, which he did not cut in half. 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 UST Then{ some} vultures flew down{ and landed} on the{ animal} bodies{ to eat them}, but Abram chased them away. BSB BSB: And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 UST Later, as the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly, it became completely dark, and he became terrified. BSB BSB: As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13 UST Then Yahweh said to him,“I want you to know that your descendants will live as foreigners in a country that is not their own. They will serve the people{ of that country}{ as slaves}, and those people will treat them cruelly for 400 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 UST But I will punish those people whom they serve. After that, your descendants will leave{ that country} and take many riches with them. BSB BSB: But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.
15 UST As for you, after you have lived a good long life, you will die peacefully and join your ancestors{ who have died before you}. BSB BSB: You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.
17 UST When the sun had set, it became{ very} dark. Then suddenly a{ clay} pot{ appeared}{ that was full} of burning coals and had smoke coming from it, and also a blazing torch, and they{ both} went between the{ animal} halves. 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 UST At that time Yahweh made a{ special} agreement with Abram and said,“I am giving your descendants this land,{ which extends} from Egypt’ s river{ in the south} to the great Euphrates River{ in the north}. 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 UST { That includes}{ the land which belongs to} the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, BSB BSB: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,
20 UST the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, BSB BSB: Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,
21 UST the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” BSB BSB: Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”