Genesis · Chapter 15

[ edit] So þes þingis paſt ouer, þe word of þe Lord was maad to Abram bi a viſioun, ſeiynge, Abram, wolt þow not dreed, I am þi defendour, and þi meed is ful greet. And Abram ſeide, Lord God, what ſhal þow ȝyue me? I ſhal go wiþouten fre children, and þe ſone of þe proctour of myn hows, þis Damaſk of Elyzar, ſhal be myn eyre. And Abram addide, To me forſoþe þow haſt not ȝouun ſeed, and, lo! þe ſeruaunt of myn howſhold ſhal be myn eyre. And anoon þe word of God was maad to hym, ſeiynge, Þis ſhal not be þin eire, but he þat ſhal gon out of þi womb, hym þow ſhalt make þin eire. And he ledde hym out, and ſeide to hym, Biholde heuene, and noumbre þe ſterrys, if þow mayſt.

And he ſeide to hym, So ſhal be þi ſeed. Abram leuede to God, and it was alowid to hym to ryȝtwiſnes. And he ſeide to hym, I þe Lord, þat out lad þee fro Vr of Caldeis, þat I ſhulde ȝyue to þee þis lond, and þow ſhuldiſt haue it. And he ſeide, Lord God, wherof may I knowe þat I am to haue it? And þe Lord anſweride, Take, he ſeiþ, to þee a kow of þre ȝeer, and a ſhe gehet of þre ȝeer, and a weþir of þre ȝeer, and a turtur, and a culuer. Þe which, takynge alle þes þingis, dyuydide hem by þe mydil, and putte eiþir partis aȝens hemſilf, eiþer to oþre; þe briddis forſoþe he dyuydide not. And fowlis deſcendiden vpon þe careyns, and Abram droue hem awey.

And whanne þe ſunne was goon down, feer felle vpon Abram, and greet griſynes and derk aſſaileden hym. And it was ſeid to him, Bifore knowynge know þow, þat þi ſeed is to be a pilgrym in þe lond not his, and men ſhulen ſuget hem to þraldom, and men ſhulen ouer traueile hem fowre hundrid wynter; neþeles I ſhal deme þe folk of kynde to whom þei ben to ſerue; and after þes þingis þei ſhulen gon out wiþ a greet ſubſtaunce. Þow forſoþe ſhalt go to þi fadres in pees, biried alſo in god eld. Þe ferþe forſoþe generacioun þei ſhulen turne aȝen hidir, ne ȝit forſoþe ben not fulfillid þe ſhrewidnes of þe Amoreis, vnto þe tyme þat is now.

Þanne whan þe ſunne is gon down, þere was maad a derk clowd, and a furneys ſmekynge aperyde, and a lawmpe of fijr, paſſynge bitwix þo dyuyſiouns. In þat day þe Lord couenauntide wiþ Abram a bond of pees, ſeiynge, To þi ſeed I ſhal ȝyue þis lond, fro þe flood of Egipt vnto þe greet flood of Eufraten; Cyneos, and Cynyſeos, and Sephmonios, and Eþeos, and Phariſeos, Raphaim forſoþe, and Amorreos, and Chananeos, and Gergeſeos, and Gebeſeos.