Study Desk

After these things ^(a)the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "^(b)Do not fear, Abram, I am ^(c)a shield to you; ^[a]Your ^(d)reward shall be very great."

Abram said, "O Lord ^[b] God , what will You give me, since I ^[c]am childless, and the ^[d]heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"

And Abram said, "^[e]Since You have given no ^[f]offspring to me, ^[g]one ^(e)born in my house is my heir."

Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; ^(f)but one who will come forth from your own ^[h]body, he shall be your heir."

And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and ^(g)count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "^(h)So shall your ^[i]descendants be."

⁽ⁱ⁾Then he believed in the Lord ; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

And He said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you out of ^(j)Ur of the Chaldeans, to ^(k)give you this land to ^[j]possess it."

He said, "O Lord ^[k] God , ^(l)how may I know that I will ^[l]possess it?"

So He said to him, "^[m]Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

Then he ^[n]brought all these to Him and ^(m)cut them ^[o]in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he ⁽ⁿ⁾did not cut the birds.

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

Now when the sun was going down, ^(o)a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, ^[p]terror and great darkness fell upon him.

God said to Abram, "Know for certain that ^(p)your ^[q]descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, ^[r]where ^(q)they will be enslaved and oppressed ^(r)four hundred years.

But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out ^(s)with ^[s]many possessions.

As for you, ^(t)you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.

Then in ^(u)the fourth generation they will return here, for ^(v)the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which ^(w)passed between these pieces.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "^(x)To your ^[t]descendants I have given this land, From ^(y)the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: