1 Depois destes acontecimentos, veio a palavra do Senhor a Abrão, numa visão, e disse: Não temas, Abrão, eu sou o teu escudo, e teu galardão será sobremodo grande. 2 Respondeu Abrão: Senhor Deus, que me haverás de dar, se continuo sem filhos e o herdeiro da minha casa é o damasceno Eliézer? 3 Disse mais Abrão: A mim não me concedeste descendência, e um servo nascido na minha casa será o meu herdeiro. 4 A isto respondeu logo o Senhor, dizendo: Não será esse o teu herdeiro; mas aquele que será gerado de ti será o teu herdeiro. 5 Então, conduziu-o até fora e disse: Olha para os céus e conta as estrelas, se é que o podes. E lhe disse: Será assim a tua posteridade. 6 Ele creu no Senhor, e isso lhe foi imputado para justiça.

7 Disse-lhe mais: Eu sou o Senhor que te tirei de Ur dos caldeus, para dar-te por herança esta terra. 8 Perguntou-lhe Abrão: Senhor Deus, como saberei que hei de possuí-la? 9 Respondeu-lhe: Toma-me uma novilha, uma cabra e um cordeiro, cada qual de três anos, uma rola e um pombinho. 10 Ele, tomando todos estes animais, partiu-os pelo meio e lhes pôs em ordem as metades, umas defronte das outras; e não partiu as aves. 11 Aves de rapina desciam sobre os cadáveres, porém Abrão as enxotava.

12 Ao pôr do sol, caiu profundo sono sobre Abrão, e grande pavor e cerradas trevas o acometeram; 13 então, lhe foi dito: Sabe, com certeza, que a tua posteridade será peregrina em terra alheia, e será reduzida à escravidão, e será afligida por quatrocentos anos. 14 Mas também eu julgarei a gente a que têm de sujeitar-se; e depois sairão com grandes riquezas. 15 E tu irás para os teus pais em paz; serás sepultado em ditosa velhice. 16 Na quarta geração, tornarão para aqui; porque não se encheu ainda a medida da iniquidade dos amorreus.

17 E sucedeu que, posto o sol, houve densas trevas; e eis um fogareiro fumegante e uma tocha de fogo que passou entre aqueles pedaços. 18 Naquele mesmo dia, fez o Senhor aliança com Abrão, dizendo: À tua descendência dei esta terra, desde o rio do Egito até ao grande rio Eufrates: 19 o queneu, o quenezeu, o cadmoneu, 20 o heteu, o ferezeu, os refains, 21 o amorreu, o cananeu, o girgaseu e o jebuseu.

1 After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness. 7 And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not. 11 And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. 18 In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21 and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, "your very great reward. ""

2 But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit "my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

4 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."

5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars —if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring "be."

6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

8 But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.

11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.

14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.

16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi "of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates —

19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,

21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."