1這些事以後，有上主的話在神視中對亞巴郎說：「亞巴郎，你不要怕，我是你的盾牌；你得的報酬必很豐厚！」 1Now when these things were done, the word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great.
2亞巴郎說：「我主上主！你能給我什麼？我一直沒有兒子；繼承我家業的是大馬士革人厄里厄則爾。」 2And Abram said: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children: and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.
3亞巴郎又說：「你既沒有賜給我後裔，那麼只有一個家僕來作我的承繼人。」 3And Abram added: But to me thou hast not given seed: and lo my servant, born in my house, shall be my heir.
4有上主的話答覆他說：「這人決不會是你的承繼人，而是你親生的要做你的承繼人。」 4And immediately the word of the Lord came to him, saying: He shall not be thy heir: but he that shall come out of thy bowels, him shalt thou have for thy heir.
5上主遂領他到外面說：「請你仰觀蒼天，數點星辰，你能夠數清嗎？」繼而對他說：「你的後裔也將這樣。」 5And he brought him forth abroad, and said to him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst. And he said to him: So shall thy seed be.
6亞巴郎相信了上主，上主就以此算為他的正義。 6Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.
7上主又對他說：「我是上主，我從加色丁人的烏爾領你出來，是為將這地賜給你作為產業。」 7And he said to him: I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land, and that thou mightest possess it.
8亞巴郎說：「我主上主！我如何知道我要佔有此地為產業？」 8But he said: Lord God, whereby may I know that I shall possess it?
9上主對他說：「你給我拿來一隻三歲的母牛，一隻三歲的母山羊，一隻三歲的公綿羊，一隻斑鳩和一隻雛鴿。」 9And the Lord answered, and said: Take me a cow of three years old, and a she goat of three years, and a ram of three years, a turtle also, and a pigeon.
10亞巴郎便把這一切拿了來，每樣從中剖開，將一半與另一半相對排列，只有飛鳥沒有剖開。 10And he took all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid the two pieces of each one against the other; but the birds he divided not.
11有鷙鳥落在獸屍上，亞巴郎就把牠們趕走。 11And the fowls came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12太陽快要西落時，亞巴郎昏沉地睡去，忽覺陰森萬分，遂害怕起來。 12And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him.
13上主對亞巴郎說：「你當知道，你的後裔必要寄居在異邦，受人奴役虐待四百年之久。 13And it was said unto him: Know thou beforehand that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall bring them under bondage, and afflict them four hundred years.
14但是，我要親自懲罰他們所要服事的民族；如此你的後裔必要帶著豐富的財物由那裡出來。 14But I will judge the nation which they shall serve, and after this they shall come out with great substance.
15至於你，你要享受高壽，以後平安回到你列祖那裡，被人埋葬。 15And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and be buried in a good old age.
16到了第四代，他們必要回到這裡，因為阿摩黎人的罪惡至今尚未滿貫。」 16But in the fourth generation they shall return hither: for as yet the iniquities of the Amorrhites are not at the full until this present time.
17當日落天黑的時候，看，有冒煙的火爐和燃著的火炬，由那些肉塊間經過。 17And when the sun was set, there arose a dark mist, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.
18在這一天，上主與亞巴郎立約說：「我要賜給你後裔的這土地，是從埃及河直到幼發拉的河， 18That day God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river Euphrates.
19就是刻尼人、刻納次人、卡德摩尼人、 19The Cineans and Cenezites, the Cedmonites,
20赫特人、培黎齊人、勒法因人、 20And the Hethites, and the Pherezites, the Raphaim also,
21阿摩黎人、客納罕人、基爾加士人和耶步斯人的土地。」 21And the Amorrhites, and the Chanaanites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites.
注释
15:1-11
天主早已应许亚巴郎子孙有如繁星，要将客纳罕地赐给他们(13:14-17)；但他至今无子，又到处漂泊，天主遂又重复所许；他纵已年老，妻子又不生育，还是坚信了天主的话，因此天主使他成义（罗4；迦3:6-9；希11:11-12；雅2:23）。又为嘉许他的信德，就同他立了约。这约不是双方的结盟，而是天主单方面的恩赐。天主立约所规定的祭献，似乎是古时立约的仪式（耶34:18）。
15:13-16
此预言叫亚巴郎明白，向他的子孙预许的不只是幸福，而也有苦难。「四百年」出12:41作「四百叁十年」。这种差异是本书作者喜用成数的原故。
15:17
冒烟冒火是天主亲临的表示（出3:2; 13:21），保证天主既许必践。