Kapital 15 -

CHAP. XV.

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.

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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 ^* great reward. [ ^* Psal.16.16 ]

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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.

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

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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.

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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, ^*So shall thy seed be. [ ^* Rom.4. 18 ]

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6 And he ^*beleeued in the LORD; and hee counted it to him for righteousnesse. [ ^* Rom.4.3. galat.3.6. iam.2.23. ]

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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

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13 And he said vnto Abram, Know of a surety, ^* 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. [ ^* Acts 7.6.]

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

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

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

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

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18 In that same day the LORD made a couenant with Abram, saying; ^* Unto thy seed haue I giuen this land from the riuer of Egypt vnto the great riuer, the riuer Euphrates: [ ^*Chap.12. 7. and 13. 15. & 26.4. deut.34.4. ]

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19 The Kenites, and the Kenizites, and the Kadmonites:

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

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