God Makes a Covenant With Abram
1Some time later, Abram had a vision. The Lord said to him,
“Abram, do not be afraid.
I am like a shield to you.
I am your very great reward.”
2But Abram said, “Lord and King, what can you give me? I still don’t have any children. My servant Eliezer comes from Damascus. When I die, he will get everything I own.” 3Abram continued, “You haven’t given me any children. So this servant of mine will get everything I own.”
4Then a message from the Lord came to Abram. The Lord said, “When you die, what you have will not go to this man. You will have a son of your own. He will get everything you have.” 5The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky. Count the stars, if you can.” Then he said to him, “That’s how many children will be born into your family.”
6Abram believed the Lord. The Lord was pleased with Abram because he believed. So Abram’s faith made him right with the Lord.
7He also said to Abram, “I am the Lord. I brought you out of Ur in the land of Babylon. I will give you this land to have as your very own.”
8But Abram said, “Lord and King, how can I know I will have this land as my own?”
9So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a young cow, a goat and a ram. Each must be three years old. Bring a dove and a young pigeon along with them.”
10Abram brought all of them to the Lord. Abram cut them in two and placed the halves opposite each other. But he didn’t cut the birds in half. 11Then large birds came down to eat the dead bodies of the animals and birds. But Abram chased the large birds away.
12As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. A thick and scary darkness covered him. 13Then the Lord said to him, “You can be sure of what I am about to tell you. For 400 years, your family who comes after you will be strangers in another country. They will become slaves there and will be treated badly. 14But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. After that, they will leave with many possessions. 15But you will die in peace. You will join the members of your family who have already died. And you will be buried when you are very old. 16Your children’s grandchildren will come back here. That’s because the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached the point where I must punish them.”
17The sun set and it became dark. Then a burning torch and a pot filled with smoking coals appeared. They passed between the pieces of the animals that had been cut in two. 18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram. He said, “I am giving this land to your family who comes after you. It reaches from the River of Egypt to the great Euphrates River. 19It includes the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20Hittites, Perizzites and Rephaites. 21The Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites also live there.”
Onyankopɔn Ne Abram Apam
1Eyinom akyi no, Awurade kasa kyerɛɛ Abram wɔ anisoadehu mu se,
“Abram, nsuro.
Meyɛ wo nkatabo.
Meyɛ wo kyɛfa a ɛsom bo.”
2Abram nso buae se, “Awurade Nyankopɔn, dɛn na wode bɛma me wɔ bere a minni ɔba. Onipa a obedi mʼade no yɛ Damaskoni Elieser?” 3Na Abram toaa so se, “Wommaa me mma nti, akoa a wɔwoo no wɔ me fi no na obedi mʼade.”
4Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Abram se, “Saa ɔbarima yi renni wʼade da, gye wʼankasa wo yafunumma.” 5Onyankopɔn de Abram kɔɔ afikyiri, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma wʼani so hwɛ soro na hwɛ sɛ wubetumi akan soro nsoromma ana.” Afei, Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Abram se, “Saa ara na wʼasefo bɛdɔɔso nen.”
6Abram gyee asɛm a Awurade kae no dii. Ne saa nti, Awurade buu no onipa trenee.
7Awurade Nyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Abram bio se, “Mene Awurade a mede wo fi Ur a ɛwɔ Kaldeafo asase so bae sɛ mede saa asase yi rema wo sɛ wʼagyapade.”
8Nanso Abram kae se, “Ɔsorosoro Awurade, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na mehu sɛ asase no bɛyɛ me dea?”
9Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Abram se, “Fa nantwi ba a wadi mfe abiɛsa, abirekyibere a wadi mfe abiɛsa, Odwennini a wadi mfe abiɛsa, agyenkuku ne aborɔnoma ba brɛ me.”
10Abram de eyinom nyinaa brɛɛ Onyankopɔn, paapae wɔn mu abien abien, na ɔde afaafa no kyerɛkyerɛɛ anim, de guguu hɔ. Na nnomaa no de, wampaapae wɔn mu. 11Na apete besisii mmoa no afunu so no, Abram pam wɔn.
12Bere a owia rekɔtɔ no, Abram daa hatee, na sum kabii a ɛyɛ hu tɔɔ ne so. 13Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Abram se, “Gye di sɛ wʼasefo bɛyɛ ahɔho wɔ asase a ɛnyɛ wɔn dea so. Wɔbɛyɛ nkoa wɔ ɔman no mu, asom, na wɔayɛ wɔn ayayade mfe ahannan. 14Nanso mɛtwe saa ɔman a wʼasefo bɛsom wɔn no aso, na ɛno akyi no, wobefi ɔman a wɔsom mu no mu aba sɛ adefo. 15Wo de, wubewu asomdwoe mu. Wubenyin akyɛ yiye ansa na woawu. 16Nanso awo ntoatoaso a ɛto so anan no mu, wʼasefo bɛsan aba saa ɔman yi mu bio. Efisɛ saa bere yi, Amorifo a wɔte saa asase yi so nnɛ yi bɔne a wɔyɛ no nnya nnuu nea wɔtwe wɔn aso ma ɛyɛ yiye ɛ.”
17Na ɛbaa sɛ owia kɔtɔe, na sum durui no, Abram huu ogyaframa bi sɛ ɛrefi wusiw ne ogyatɛn a ɛredɛw bɛfaa mmoa a wɔakum wɔn no afunu afaafa no ntam. 18Saa da no ara, Awurade ne Abram yɛɛ apam, kae se, “Mede saa asase a efi Misraim asubɔnten no ho, de kosi asubɔnten kɛse Eufrate ho bɛma wo ne wʼasefo. 19Saa ara nso na mede Kenifo, Kenesifo, Kadmonifo, 20Hetifo, Perisifo, Refaimfo, 21Amorifo, Kanaanfo, Girgasifo ne Yebusifo nsase nyinaa bɛma wo ne wʼasefo no.”
