Genesis Chapter 15
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
2
And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto Jehovah.
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And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
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that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar).
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All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea).
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Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
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And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
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and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
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And they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.
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And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array against them in the vale of Siddim;
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against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.
12
Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.
13
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
14
And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
15
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.
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And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.
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And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
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And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
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And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King’s Vale).
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And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
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And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward.
2
And Abram said, Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.
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And Abram said, Lo, to me thou hast given no seed, and behold, a son of my house will be mine heir.
4
And behold, the word of Jehovah [came] to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that will come forth out of thy body shall be thine heir.
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And he led him out, and said, Look now toward the heavens, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them. And he said to him, So shall thy seed be!
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And he believed Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him [as] righteousness.
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And he said to him, I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to possess it.
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And he said, Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall possess 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 all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the half of each opposite its fellow; but the birds he did not divide.
11
And the birds of prey came down on the carcases; and Abram scared them away.
12
And as the sun was just going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a horror, a great darkness, fell upon him.
13
And he said to Abram, Know assuredly that thy seed will be a sojourner in a land [that is] not theirs, and they shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.
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But also that nation which they shall serve I will judge; and afterwards they shall come out with great property.
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And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
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And [in the] fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
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And it came to pass when the sun had gone down, and it was dark, that behold, there was a smoking furnace, and a flame of fire which passed between those pieces.
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On the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates;
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the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
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and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim,
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and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
1
And after these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I shield thee, thy reward shall be very great.
2
And Abram said, Master [and] Lord, what wilt thou give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus [is mine heir].
3
And Abram said, [I am grieved] since thou hast given me no seed, but my home-born [servant] shall succeed me.
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And immediately there was a voice of the Lord to him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come out of thee shall be thine heir.
5
And he brought him out and said to him, Look up now to heaven, and count the stars, if thou shalt be able to number them fully, and he said, Thus shall thy seed be.
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And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
7
And he said to him, I am God that brought thee out of the land of the Chaldeans, so as to give thee this land to inherit.
8
And he said, Master [and] Lord, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?
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And he said to him, Take for me an heifer in her third year, and a she-goat in her third year, and a ram in his third year, and a dove and a pigeon.
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So he took to him all these, and divided them in the midst, and set them opposite to each other, but the birds he did not divide.
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And birds came down upon the bodies, [even] upon the divided parts of them, and Abram sat down by them.
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And about sunset a trance fell upon Abram, and lo! a great gloomy terror falls upon him.
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And it was said to Abram, Thou shalt surely know that thy seed shall be a sojourner in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them, and afflict them, and humble them four hundred years.
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And the nation whomsoever they shall serve I will judge; and after this, they shall come forth hither with much property.
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But thou shalt depart to thy fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.
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And in the fourth generation they shall return hither, for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up, even until now.
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And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.
18
In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.
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The Kenites, and the Kenezites, and the Kedmoneans,
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and the Chettites, and the Pherezites, and the Raphaim,
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and the Amorites, and the Chananites, and the Evites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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His itaque transactis, factus est sermo Domini ad Abram per visionem dicens: Noli timere Abram, ego protector tuus sum, et merces tua magna nimis.
2
Dixitque Abram: Domine Deus, quid dabis mihi? ego vadam absque liberis: et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer.
3
Addiditque Abram: Mihi autem non dedisti semen: et ecce vernaculus meus, heres meus erit.
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Statimque sermo Domini factus est ad eum, dicens: Non erit hic heres tuus: sed qui egredietur de utero tuo, ipsum habebis heredem.
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Eduxitque eum foras, et ait illi: Suscipe cælum, et numera stellas, si potes. Et dixit ei: Sic erit semen tuum.
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Credidit Abram Deo, et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam.
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Dixitque ad eum: Ego Dominus qui eduxi te de Ur Chaldæorum ut darem tibi terram istam, et possideres eam.
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At ille ait: Domine Deus, unde scire possum, quod possessurus sim eam?
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Et respondens Dominus: Sume, inquit, mihi vaccam trienem, et capram trimam, et arietem annorum trium, turturem quoque, et columbam.
10
Qui tollens universa hæc, divisit ea per medium, et utrasque partes contra se altrinsecus posuit: aves autem non divisit.
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Descenderuntque volucres super cadavera, et abigebat eas Abram.
12
Cumque sol occumberet, sopor irruit super Abram, et horror magnus et tenebrosus invasit eum.
13
Dictumque est ad eum: Scito prænoscens quod peregrinum futurum sit semen tuum in terra non sua, et subiicient eos servituti, et affligent quadringentis annis.
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Verumtamen gentem, cui servituri sunt, ego iudicabo: et post hæc egredientur cum magna substantia.
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Tu autem ibis ad patres tuos in pace, sepultus in senectute bona.
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Generatione autem quarta revertentur huc: necdum enim completæ sunt iniquitates Amorrhæorum usque ad præsens tempus.
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Cum ergo occubuisset sol, facta est caligo tenebrosa, et apparuit clibanus fumans, et lampas ignis transiens inter divisiones illas.
18
In illo die pepigit Dominus fœdus cum Abram, dicens: Semini tuo dabo terram hanc a fluvio Ægypti usque ad fluvium magnum Euphraten,
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Cinæos, et Cenezæos, Cedmonæos,
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et Hethæos, et Pherezæos, Raphaim quoque,
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et Amorrhæos, et Chananæos, et Gergesæos, et Iebusæos.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
After these things the LORD’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2
Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3
Abram said, “Behold, you have given no children to me: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”
4
Behold, the LORD’s word came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come out of your own body will be your heir.”
5
The LORD 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 your offspring will be.”
6
He believed in the LORD, who credited it to him for righteousness.
7
He said to Abram, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
8
He said, “Lord GOD, 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 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 offspring 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 at 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 the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
19
the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
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the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
1
After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, `Fear not, Abram, I <FI>am<Fi> a shield to thee, thy reward <FI>is<Fi> exceeding great.'
2
And Abram saith, `Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'
3
And Abram saith, `Lo, to me Thou hast not given seed, and lo, a domestic doth heir me.'
4
And lo, the word of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> unto him, saying, `This <FI>one<Fi> doth not heir thee; but he who cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'
5
and He bringeth him out without, and saith, `Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, `Thus is thy seed.'
6
And he hath believed in Jehovah, and He reckoneth it to him--righteousness.
7
And He saith unto him, `I <FI>am<Fi> Jehovah who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to thee this land to possess it;'
8
and he saith, `Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'
9
And He saith unto him, `Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'
10
and he taketh to him all these, and separateth them in the midst, and putteth each piece over against its fellow, but the bird he hath not divided;
11
and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back.
12
And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a terror of great darkness is falling upon him;
13
and He saith to Abram, `knowing--know that thy seed is a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred years,
14
and the nation also whom they serve I judge, and after this they go out with great substance;
15
and thou--thou comest in unto thy fathers in peace; thou art buried in a good old age;
16
and the fourth generation doth turn back hither, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.'
17
And it cometh to pass--the sun hath gone in, and thick darkness hath been--and lo, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which hath passed over between those pieces.
18
In that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, `To thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Phrat,
19
with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
20
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,
21
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).