I Be Your Shield
Abram answer di promise wit im real complaint: e no get pikin. Our Papa carry am go outside to see di stars, and Abram believe am. Den dark fear fall on am and di promise come hard pass — four hundred years of slavery before di land go be their own.
15 1After all dis things, our Papa im word come reach Abram for one vision: "No fear, Abram. I be your shield, your reward wey big well well."
2But Abram talk say, "My Sovereign Papa, wetin you go give me, since I no get pikin, and na Eliezer of Damascus go inherit my property?" 3Abram talk say, "You never give me any pikin; na servant wey born for my house go inherit from me."
4Our Papa im word come reach am: "Dis man no go be di one wey go inherit your property; na pikin wey come comot from your own body go inherit am." 5He carry am comot go outside and talk say, "Look di sky and count di stars, if you fit." Then he talk say, "Na so your descendants go be."
6Abram believe our Papa, and our Papa count am give am as correct-and-holy way.
7He tell am say, "I be your Papa, wey bring you comot from Ur of di Chaldeans, to give you dis land make e be your own."
8But Abram talk say, "My Sovereign Papa, how I go take know say di land go be my own?"
9He tell am say, "Bring me one cow wey be three years, one goat, and one ram, one turtledove, and one young pigeon."
10Abram bring all dis things give am, cut dem for two, and arrange each half face im brother; but he no cut di birds. a a v10 For di way wey people take seal Covenant for olden days, di two people wey dey enter di Covenant go cut animals for two and pass between di halves, dey promise dem own life say dem go keep dem word. 11Wen birds wey dey chop meat come land ontop di dead animals, Abram drive dem comot. 12As di sun dey set, deep sleep come fall Abram, and great fear and darkness come cover am.
13Then our Papa tell Abram, "Know am for sure: your descendants go live as strangers for land wey no be dem own, dem go turn dem to slave and press dem down for 400 years. 14I go also judge di nation wey dem serve, and after dat dem go comot with plenty riches. 15You go go join your fathers with peace, dem go bury you wen you don old well well. 16For di fourth generation dem go come back here, because di Amorites dem guilt never full reach."
17After di sun set, for inside di darkness, one firepot wey dey smoke and one torch wey dey burn come show and pass between di pieces. b b v17 For Covenant ceremony for olden days, di two people go waka between di animals wey dem cut for two — na vow wey mean say, "Make dem split me like dis if I break my promise." For here na our Papa im one waka through as light wey dey burn, dey take di full weight of di Covenant put ontop imself.
18Dat day our Papa make Covenant with Abram: "I give your descendants dis land, from di river of Egypt reach di great river, di Euphrates, 19di land of di Kenites, di Kenizzites, di Kadmonites, 20di Hittites, di Perizzites, di Rephaites, 21di Amorites, di Canaanites, di Girgashites, and di Jebusites."
