Genesis 15:1-21

1 God encourageth Abram.

2 Abram complaineth for want of an heire.

4 God promiseth him a sonne, and a multiplying of his seed.

6 Abram is iustified by faith.

7 Canaan is promised againe, and confirmed by a signe,

12 and a vision.

1 After these things, the word of the LORD came vnto Abram in a vision, saying; Feare not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding [Note: Psalms 16:16.] great reward.

2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou giue me, seeing I goe childlesse? and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.

3 And Abram said; Behold, to mee thou hast given no seed: and loe, one borne in my house is mine heire.

4 And behold, the word of the LORD came vnto him, saying; This shall not be thine heire: but he that shall come foorth out of thy owne bowels, shalbe thine heire.

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Looke now towards heauen, and tell the starres, if thou be able to number them. And hee said vnto him, [Note: Romans 4:18.] So shall thy seed be.

6 And he [Note: Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23.] beleeued in the LORD; and hee counted it to him for righteousnesse.

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

8 And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shal I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said vnto him, Take me an heifer of three yeeres old, and a shee goat of three yeeres old, and a ramme of three yeeres old, and a turtle doue, and a yong pigeon.

[Abrams vision.]

10 And he tooke vnto him all these, and diuided them in the midst, and layd each peece one against another: but the birds diuided he not.

11 And when the fowles came downe vpon the carcases, Abram droue them away.

12 And when the Sunne was going downe, a deepe sleepe fell vpon Abram: and loe, an horrour of great darkenesse fell vpon him.

13 And he said vnto Abram, Know of a surety, [Note: Acts 7:6.] that thy seed shalbe a stranger, in a land that is not theirs, and shal serue them, and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeeres.

14 And also that nation whom they shall serue, wil I iudge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

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

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

17 And it came to passe that when the Sunne went downe, and it was darke, behold, a smoking furnace, and a [Note: Hebrewe. a lampe of fire.] burning lampe that passed betweene those pieces.

18 In that same day the LORD made a couenant with Abram, saying; [Note: Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 26:4; Deuteronomy 34:4.] Unto thy seed haue I giuen this land from the riuer of Egypt vnto the great riuer, the riuer Euphrates:

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizites, 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 Iebusites.