"I will multiplyyour descendantsas the starsof heaven,and will giveyour descendantsalltheselands;and by your descendantsallthe nationsof the earthshall be blessed;
"I will makeyour descendantsas the dustof the earth,sothat ifanyonecannumberthe dustof the earth,then your descendantscan alsobe numbered.
On that daythe LORDmadea covenantwith Abram,saying,"To your descendantsI have giventhisland,From the riverof Egyptas faras the greatriver,the riverEuphrates:
And He tookhim outsideand said,"Nowlooktoward the heavens,and countthe stars,ifyou are ableto countthem." And He saidto him, "Soshall your descendantsbe."
since Abrahamwill surelybecomea greatand mightynation,and in him allthe nationsof the earthwill be blessed?
The LORDappearedto him the samenightand said,"I am the Godof your fatherAbraham;Do not fear,for I am with you. I will blessyou, and multiplyyour descendants,For the sakeof My servantAbraham."
"Your descendantswill also be like the dustof the earth,and you will spreadout to the westand to the eastand to the northand to the south;and in you and in your descendantsshall allthe familiesof the earthbe blessed.
"May GodAlmightyblessyou and makeyou fruitfuland multiplyyou, that you may becomea companyof peoples.
"The landwhichI gaveto Abrahamand Isaac,I will giveit to you, And I will givethe landto your descendantsafter you."
Now Israellivedin the landof Egypt,in Goshen,and they acquiredpropertyin it and were fruitfuland becameverynumerous.
But Daviddid not countthose twentyyearsof ageand under,becausethe LORDhad saidHe would multiplyIsraelas the starsof heaven.
May his nameendureforever;May his nameincreaseas longas the sun[shines]; And let [men] blessthemselves by him; Let allnationscallhim blessed.
"RememberAbraham,Isaac,and Israel,Your servantsto whomYou sworeby Yourself, and saidto them, 'I will multiplyyour descendantsas the starsof the heavens,and allthislandof whichI have spokenI will giveto your descendants,and they shall inherit[it] forever.'"
"I alsoestablishedMy covenantwith them, to givethem the landof Canaan,the landin whichthey sojourned.
"It is you who are the sonsof the prophetsand of the covenantwhichGodmadewith your fathers,sayingto Abraham,AND IN YOUR SEEDALLTHE FAMILIESOF THE EARTHSHALL BE BLESSED.'
Nowthe promiseswere spokento Abrahamand to his seed.He does not say,"And to seeds,"as [referring] to many,but [rather] to one,"And to your seed,"that is, Christ.
The Scripture,foreseeingthat Godwould justifythe Gentilesby faith,preached the gospel beforehandto Abraham,[saying], "ALLTHE NATIONSWILL BE BLESSEDIN YOU."
"Nothingfrom that whichis put underthe banshall clingto your hand,in orderthat the LORDmay turnfrom His burningangerand showmercyto you, and havecompassionon you and make you increase,justas He has swornto your fathers,
"It is not for your righteousnessor for the uprightnessof your heartthat you are goingto possesstheir land,but [it is] becauseof the wickednessof thesenations[that] the LORDyour Godis drivingthem out beforeyou, in orderto confirmthe oathwhichthe LORDsworeto your fathers,to Abraham,Isaacand Jacob.
For by it the men of oldgained approval.
