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15 Nogen Tid efter kom HerrenS Ord til Abram i et Syn således: "Frygt ikke, Abram, jeg er dit Skjold; din Løn skal blive såre stor!" Men Abram svarede: "Herre", Herre, hvad kan du give mig, når jeg dog går barnløs bort, og en Mand fra Damaskus, Eliezer, skal arve mit Hus." Og Abram sagde: "Du har jo intet Afkom givet mig, og se, min Hustræl kommer til at arve mig!" Og se, Herrens Ord kom til ham således: "Han kommer ikke til at arve dig, men den, der udgår af dit Liv, han skal arve dig." Derpå førte han ham ud i det fri og sagde: "Se op mod Himmelen og prøv, om du kan tælle Stjernerne!" Og han sagde til ham: "Således skal dit Afkom blive!" Da troede Abram Herren, og han regnede ham det til Retfærdighed.

Derpå sagde han til ham: "Jeg er Herren, som førte dig bort fra Ur Kasdim for at give dig dette Land i Eje!" Men han svarede: "Herre, Herre, hvorpå kan jeg kende, at jeg skal få det i Eje?" Da sagde han til ham: "Tag mig en treårs Kvie, en treårs Ged og en treårs Væder, en Turteldue og en Småfugl!" 10 Så tog han alle disse Dyr skar dem midt over og lagde Halvdelene over for hinanden; dog skar han ikke Fuglene over. 11 Da slog der Rovfugle ned på de døde Kroppe, men Abram skræmmede dem bort. 12 Da Solen så var ved at gå ned, faldt der Dvale over Abram, og se, Rædsel faldt over ham, et stort Mørke. 13 Og han sagde til Abram: "Vide skal du, at dit Afkom skal bo som fremmede i et Land, der ikke er deres eget; de skal trælle for dem og mishandles af dem i 400 År. 14 Dog vil jeg også dømme det Folk, de kommer til at trælle for, og siden skal de vandre ud med meget Gods. 15 Men du skal fare til dine Fædre i Fred og blive jordet i en god Alderdom. 16 I fjerde Slægtled skal de vende tilbage hertil; thi endnu er Amoriternes Syndeskyld ikke fuldmoden."

17 Da Solen var gået ned og Mørket faldet på, viste der sig en rygende Ovn med en flammende Ildslue, der skred frem mellem de sønderskårne Kroppe. 18 På den Dag sluttede Herren Pagt med Abram, idet han sagde: "Dit Afkom giver jeg dette Land fra Ægyptens Bæk til den store Flod, Eufratfloden, 19 det er Keniterne, Henizziterne, Kadmoniterne, 20 Hetiterne, Perizziterne, Refaiterne, 21 Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Girgasjiterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne."

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram(A) in a vision:(B)

“Do not be afraid,(C) Abram.
    I am your shield,[a](D)
    your very great reward.[b](E)

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(F) what can you give me since I remain childless(G) and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?(H) And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant(I) in my household(J) will be my heir.”

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.(K) He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars(L)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[d] be.”(M)

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(N)

He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out(O) of Ur of the Chaldeans(P) to give you this land to take possession of it.”(Q)

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,(R) how can I know(S) that I will gain possession of it?”(T)

So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,(U) a goat and a ram, each three years old,(V) along with a dove and a young pigeon.(W)

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;(X) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.(Y) 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,(Z) but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,(AA) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years(AB) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved(AC) and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out(AD) with great possessions.(AE) 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors(AF) in peace and be buried at a good old age.(AG) 16 In the fourth generation(AH) your descendants will come back here,(AI) for the sin of the Amorites(AJ) has not yet reached its full measure.”

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch(AK) appeared and passed between the pieces.(AL) 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram(AM) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,(AN) from the Wadi[e] of Egypt(AO) to the great river, the Euphrates(AP) 19 the land of the Kenites,(AQ) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites,(AR) Perizzites,(AS) Rephaites,(AT) 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:1 Or sovereign
  2. Genesis 15:1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
  3. Genesis 15:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 15:5 Or seed
  5. Genesis 15:18 Or river