¹ After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

² And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

³ And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and lo, one born in my house is my heir.

⁴ And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, This shall not be thy heir; but he that shall come forth out of thy own bowels shall be thy heir.

⁵ And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou art able to number them: and he said to him, So shall thy seed be.

⁶ And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

⁷ And he said to him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

⁸ And he said, Lord GOD, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it?

⁹ And he said to him, Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.

¹⁰ And he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds he did not divide.

¹¹ And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, 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 to Abram, Know certainly that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

¹⁴ And also that nation which they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

¹⁵ And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

¹⁷ And it came to pass, that when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

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

¹⁹ The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

²⁰ And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

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

¹ Don't fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

³ Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this:

⁶ he will make your righteousness go forth as the light, and your justice as the noon day sun.

⁷ Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don't fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.

⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don't fret, it leads only to evildoing.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land.

¹⁰ For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, though you look for his place, he isn't there.

¹¹ But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth.

¹³ The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright in the way.

¹⁵ Their sword shall enter into their own heart. Their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶ Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.

¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their inheritance shall be forever.

¹⁹ They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

²⁰ But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will vanish-- vanish like smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow, and don't pay back, but the righteous give generously.

²² For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³ A man's goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way.

²⁴ Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.

²⁶ All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His seed is blessed.

²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good. Live securely forever.

²⁸ For Yahweh loves justice, and doesn't forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice.

³¹ The law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall slide.

³² The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him.

³³ Yahweh will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴ Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.

³⁶ But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the perfect man, and see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸ As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh. He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰ Yahweh helps them, and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they have taken refuge in him. A Psalm by David, for a memorial.