¹ Après ces événements, la parole de l'Eternel fut adressée à Abram dans une vision, et il dit: Abram, ne crains point; je suis ton bouclier, et ta récompense sera très grande.

² Abram répondit: Seigneur Eternel, que me donneras-tu? Je m'en vais sans enfants; et l'héritier de ma maison, c'est Eliézer de Damas.

³ Et Abram dit: Voici, tu ne m'as pas donné de postérité, et celui qui est né dans ma maison sera mon héritier.

⁴ Alors la parole de l'Eternel lui fut adressée ainsi: Ce n'est pas lui qui sera ton héritier, mais c'est celui qui sortira de tes entrailles qui sera ton héritier.

⁵ Et après l'avoir conduit dehors, il dit: Regarde vers le ciel, et compte les étoiles, si tu peux les compter. Et il lui dit: Telle sera ta postérité.

⁶ Abram eut confiance en l'Eternel, qui le lui imputa à justice.

⁷ L'Eternel lui dit encore: Je suis L'Eternel, qui t'ai fait sortir d'Ur en Chaldée, pour te donner en possession ce pays.

⁸ Abram répondit: Seigneur Eternel, à quoi connaîtrai-je que je le posséderai?

⁹ Et l'Eternel lui dit: Prends une génisse de trois ans, une chèvre de trois ans, un bélier de trois ans, une tourterelle et une jeune colombe.

¹⁰ Abram prit tous ces animaux, les coupa par le milieu, et mit chaque morceau l'un vis-à-vis de l'autre; mais il ne partagea point les oiseaux.

¹¹ Les oiseaux de proie s'abattirent sur les cadavres; et Abram les chassa.

¹² Au coucher du soleil, un profond sommeil tomba sur Abram; et voici, une frayeur et une grande obscurité vinrent l'assaillir.

¹³ Et l'Eternel dit à Abram: Sache que tes descendants seront étrangers dans un pays qui ne sera point à eux; ils y seront asservis, et on les opprimera pendant quatre cents ans.

¹⁴ Mais je jugerai la nation à laquelle ils seront asservis, et ils sortiront ensuite avec de grandes richesses.

¹⁵ Toi, tu iras en paix vers tes pères, tu seras enterré après une heureuse vieillesse.

¹⁶ A la quatrième génération, ils reviendront ici; car l'iniquité des Amoréens n'est pas encore à son comble.

¹⁷ Quand le soleil fut couché, il y eut une obscurité profonde; et voici, ce fut une fournaise fumante, et des flammes passèrent entre les animaux partagés.

¹⁸ En ce jour-là, l'Eternel fit alliance avec Abram, et dit: Je donne ce pays à ta postérité, depuis le fleuve d'Egypte jusqu'au grand fleuve, au fleuve d'Euphrate,

¹⁹ le pays des Kéniens, des Keniziens, des Kadmoniens,

²⁰ des Héthiens, des Phéréziens, des Rephaïm,

²¹ des Amoréens, des Cananéens, des Guirgasiens et des Jébusiens.

¹ Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind,

² "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

³ Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!

⁴ "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.

⁵ Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?

⁶ Whereupon were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,

⁷ when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸ "Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth from the womb,

⁹ when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,

¹⁰ marked out for it my bound, set bars and doors,

¹¹ and said, 'Here you may come, but no further. Here your proud waves shall be stayed?'

¹² "Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn to know its place;

¹³ that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and shake the wicked out of it?

¹⁴ It is changed as clay under the seal, and stands forth as a garment.

¹⁵ From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.

¹⁶ "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

¹⁷ Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

¹⁸ Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.

¹⁹ "What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,

²⁰ that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?

²¹ Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

²² Have you entered the treasuries of the snow, or have you seen the treasures of the hail,

²³ which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴ By what way is the lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

²⁵ Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm;

²⁶ To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; on the wilderness, in which there is no man;

²⁷ to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, to cause the tender grass to spring forth?

²⁸ Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?

²⁹ Out of whose womb came the ice? The gray frost of the sky, who has given birth to it?

³⁰ The waters become hard like stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen.

³¹ "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?

³² Can you lead forth the constellations in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?

³³ Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?

³⁴ "Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover you?

³⁵ Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, 'Here we are?'

³⁶ Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?

³⁷ Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of the sky,

³⁸ when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?

³⁹ "Can you hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰ when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?

⁴¹ Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?