In a vision, the word of the LORD came to Abram, assuring him that his reward was great, though Abram expressed concern over remaining childless with Eliezer of Damascus as his heir. The LORD responded that an heir from Abram’s own body would come, leading Abram outside to look at the stars and promising that his offspring would be as numerous. Abram believed the LORD, and when asked how he would know he would possess the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, the LORD instructed him to prepare specific animal sacrifices. Abram gathered the animals, split them in half except for the birds, and drove away the birds of prey that descended on the carcasses. As the sun set, Abram fell into a deep sleep filled with great terror and darkness, during which the LORD foretold that his descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land for four hundred years before returning with many possessions. Finally, after dark, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the animal halves, establishing a covenant in which the LORD gave Abram's descendants the land spanning from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates, including the territories of various nations.
Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.
1After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”2But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”3Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”4Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”5And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”6Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.7The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”8But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”9And the LORD said to him, “Bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon.”10So Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other. The birds, however, he did not cut in half.11And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—19the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,20Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,21Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”
