¹ 这事以後，耶和华在异象中有话对亚伯兰说：亚伯兰，你不要惧怕！我是你的盾牌，必大大的赏赐你。

² 亚伯兰说：主耶和华阿，我既无子，你还赐我甚麽呢？并且要承受我家业的是大马色人以利以谢。

³ 亚伯兰又说：你没有给我儿子；那生在我家中的人就是我的後嗣。

⁴ 耶和华又有话对他说：这人必不成为你的後嗣；你本身所生的才成为你的後嗣。

⁵ 於是领他走到外边，说：你向天观看，数算众星，能数得过来麽？又对他说：你的後裔将要如此。

⁶ 亚伯兰信耶和华，耶和华就以此为他的义。

⁷ 耶和华又对他说：我是耶和华，曾领你出了迦勒底的吾珥，为要将这地赐你为业。

⁸ 亚伯兰说：主耶和华阿，我怎能知道必得这地为业呢？

⁹ 他说：你为我取一只三年的母牛，一只三年的母山羊，一只三年的公绵羊，一只斑鸠，一只雏鸽。

¹⁰ 亚伯兰就取了这些来，每样劈开，分成两半，一半对着一半地摆列，只有鸟没有劈开。

¹¹ 有鸷鸟下来，落在那死畜的肉上，亚伯兰就把他吓飞了。

¹² 日头正落的时候，亚伯兰沉沉地睡了；忽然有惊人的大黑暗落在他身上。

¹³ 耶和华对亚伯兰说：你要的确知道，你的後裔必寄居别人的地，又服事那地的人；那地的人要苦待他们四百年。

¹⁴ 并且他们所要服事的那国，我要惩罚，後来他们必带着许多财物从那里出来。

¹⁵ 但你要享大寿数，平平安安地归到你列祖那里，被人埋葬。

¹⁶ 到了第四代，他们必回到此地，因为亚摩利人的罪孽还没有满盈。

¹⁷ 日落天黑，不料有冒烟的炉并烧着的火把从那些肉块中经过。

¹⁸ 当那日，耶和华与亚伯兰立约，说：我已赐给你的後裔，从埃及河直到伯拉大河之地，

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 Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Don't be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."

² Abram said, "Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

³ Abram said, "Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir."

⁴ Behold, the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir."

⁵ Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."

⁶ He believed in Yahweh; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

⁷ He said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."

⁸ He said, "Lord Yahweh, how will I know that I will inherit it?"

⁹ He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

¹⁰ He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds.

¹¹ The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

¹² When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

¹³ He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

¹⁴ I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,

¹⁵ but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.

¹⁶ In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."

¹⁷ It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

¹⁸ In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

¹⁹ the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

²⁰ the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

²¹ the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."