New Living Translation | International Standard Version |
1Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” | 1Some time later, a message came from the LORD to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield. Your reward will be very great." |
2But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. | 2But Abram replied, "Lord GOD, what can you give me since I continue to be childless, and the heir of my household is Eliezer from Damascus? |
3You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” | 3Look!" Abram said, "You haven't given me any offspring, so a servant born in my house is going to be my heir." |
4Then the LORD said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” | 4A message came from the LORD to him again: "This one will not be your heir. Instead, the child who will be born to you will be your heir." |
5Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” | 5Then the LORD took him outside. "Look up at the sky and count the stars—if you can!" he said. "Your descendants will be that numerous." |
6And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. | 6Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. |
7Then the LORD told him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” | 7The LORD spoke to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance." |
8But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?” | 8But he replied, "Lord GOD, how will I know that I will inherit it?" |
9The LORD told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” | 9The LORD responded, "Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." |
10So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. | 10So Abram brought him all these animals and cut each of them in half, down the middle, placing the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half. |
11Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. | 11When birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. |
12As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. | 12As the sun began to set, Abram was overcome with deep sleep, and suddenly a frightening and terrifying darkness descended on him. |
13Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. | 13Then the LORD told Abram, "You can be certain about this: Your descendants will be foreigners in a land that isn't theirs. They will be slaves there and will be oppressed for 400 years. |
14But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. | 14However, I will judge the nation that they serve, and later they will leave there with many possessions. |
15(As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) | 15Now as for you, you'll die peacefully, join your ancestors, and be buried at a good old age. |
16After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” | 16Your descendants will return here in the fourth generation, since the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet run its course." |
17After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. | 17When the sun had fully set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a fiery torch passed between the animal pieces. |
18So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— | 18That very day the LORD made this covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your descendants, from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— |
19the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, | 19including the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, |
20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, | 20the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, |
21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” | 21the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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