1 这些事以后， 耶和华的话在异象中临到亚伯兰说： "亚伯兰， 你不要惧怕， 我是你的盾牌； 你的赏赐是很大的。"

2 亚伯兰说： "主耶和华啊， 我一向都没有孩子， 你还能赐给我什么呢？这样， 承受我家业的， 就是大马士革人以利以谢了。"

3 亚伯兰又说： "你既然没有给我后裔， 那生在我家中的人， 就是我的继承人了。"

4 耶和华的话又临到亚伯兰说： "这人必不会作你的继承人； 你亲生的才会是你的继承人。"

5 于是领他到外面去， 说： "你向天观看， 数点众星， 看你能不能把它们数得清楚。"又对他说： "你的后裔将要这样众多。"

6 亚伯兰信耶和华， 耶和华就以此算为他的义了。

7 耶和华又对亚伯兰说： "我是耶和华， 曾经把你从迦勒底的吾珥领出来， 为要把这地赐给你作产业。"

8 亚伯兰说： "主耶和华啊， 我凭什么能知道我必得这地为业呢？"

9 耶和华对他说： "你给我拿一头三岁的母牛， 一只三岁的母山羊， 一只三岁的公绵羊， 一只斑鸠和一只雏鸽。"

10 亚伯兰就把这一切拿了来， 每样都从当中劈开， 一半一半相对摆列； 只是鸟却没有劈开。

11 有鸷鸟下来， 落在这些尸骸上， 亚伯兰就把它们吓走了。

12 日落的时候， 亚伯兰沉沉地睡着了， 忽然有可怕的大黑暗落在他身上。

13 耶和华对亚伯兰说： "你要确实地知道， 你的后裔必在外地寄居， 也必服事那地的人， 那地的人苦待他们四百年。

14 他们所要服事的那国， 我要亲自惩罚。后来他们必带着很多财物， 从那里出来。

15 你必得享长寿， 被人埋葬， 平平安安地回到你列祖那里。

16 到了第四代， 他们必回到这里， 因为亚摩利人的罪孽还没有满盈。"

17 日落天黑的时候， 忽然有冒烟的炉和烧着的火把， 从那些肉块中经过。

18 就在那时候， 耶和华与亚伯兰立约说： "我已经把这地赐给你的后裔了， 就是从埃及河直到幼发拉底河之地；

19 就是基尼人、基尼洗人、甲摩尼人、

20 赫人、比利洗人、利乏音人、

21 亚摩利人、迦南人、革迦撒人、耶布斯人之地。"

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.