Genesis 15:1-16 ▼

1 After these thynges, the worde of the Lorde came vnto Abram in a vision, saying: feare not Abram I am thy shielde and thy exceedyng great rewarde.

2 And Abram sayde: Lorde God what wylt thou geue me when I go chyldelesse, the chylde of the stewardship of my house is this Eleazer of Damasco?

3 And Abram saide: See, to me thou hast geuen no seede: lo borne in my house is myne heire.

4 And beholde, the worde of the Lorde came vnto hym, saying, he shall not be thine heire: but one that shall come out of thine own bowels shalbe thine heire.

5 And he brought hym out, and sayde: loke vp vnto heauen, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And he sayde vnto hym: euen so shall thy seede be.

6 And Abram beleued the Lord, & that counted he to hym for righteousnesse.

7 And agayne he saide vnto him: I am the Lorde that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to geue thee this lande, & that thou myghtest inherite it.

8 And he sayde: Lorde God wherby shall I knowe that I shall inherite it?

9 He aunswered vnto hym: Take an Heyfer of three yere olde, & a she Goate of three yere olde, and a three yere olde Ramme, a turtle Doue also, & a young Pigeon.

10 He toke therefore all these vnto hym, and deuided them in the middes, and layde euery peece one ouer agaynst another: but the birdes deuided he not.

11 And when the foules fell on the carkases, Abram droue them away.

12 And whe the sunne was downe, there fell a deepe sleepe vpon Abram: and lo, an horrour of great darknesse fell vpon hym.

13 And he sayde vnto Abram: Knowe this of a suertie, that thy seede shalbe a straunger in a lande that is not theirs, and shall serue them, and they shall entreate them euyll foure hundreth yeres.

14 But the nation whom they shall serue wyll I iudge: and afterward shall they come out with great substaunce.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried in a good olde age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shal come hyther agayne: for the wickednesse of the Amorites is not yet full.