He said,"I am God,the Godof your father;do not be afraidto godownto Egypt,for I will makeyou a greatnationthere.
"You shall answerand saybeforethe LORDyour God,My fatherwas a wanderingAramean,and he wentdownto Egyptand sojournedthere,fewin number;but therehe becamea great,mightyand populousnation.
And I will makeyou a greatnation,And I will blessyou, And makeyour namegreat;And so you shall be a blessing;
saying,'Do not be afraid,Paul;you muststand beforeCaesar;and behold,Godhas grantedyou allthosewho are sailingwith you.'
Do not fear,for I am with you; Do not anxiously lookabout you, for I am your God.I will strengthenyou, surelyI will helpyou, SurelyI will upholdyou with My righteousrighthand.'
Godalso saidto him, "I am GodAlmighty;Be fruitfuland multiply;A nationand a companyof nationsshall comefrom you, And kingsshall comeforthfrom you.
"But as the timeof the promisewas approachingwhichGodhad assuredto Abraham,the peopleincreasedand multipliedin Egypt,
"Your fatherswentdownto Egyptseventypersons[in all], and nowthe LORDyour Godhas madeyou as numerousas the starsof heaven.
The LORDyour Godhas multipliedyou, and behold,you are this daylike the starsof heavenin number.
Now Israellivedin the landof Egypt,in Goshen,and they acquiredpropertyin it and were fruitfuland becameverynumerous.
indeedI will greatlyblessyou, and I will greatlymultiplyyour seedas the starsof the heavensand as the sandwhichis on the seashore;and your seedshall possessthe gateof their enemies.
since Abrahamwill surelybecomea greatand mightynation,and in him allthe nationsof the earthwill be blessed?
[God] saidto Abram,"Knowfor certainthat your descendantswill be strangersin a landthat is not theirs,where they will be enslavedand oppressedfourhundredyears.
Afterthesethingsthe wordof the LORDcameto Abramin a vision,saying,"Do not fear,Abram,I am a shieldto you; Your rewardshall be verygreat."
Then Gedaliahthe sonof Ahikam,the sonof Shaphan,sworeto them and to their men,saying,"Do not be afraidof servingthe Chaldeans;stayin the landand servethe kingof Babylon,that it may gowellwith you.
Now when Abramwas ninety-nineyearsold,the LORDappearedto Abramand saidto him, "I am GodAlmighty;WalkbeforeMe, and be blameless.
The angelwho has redeemedme from allevil,Blessthe lads;And may my nameliveon in them, And the namesof my fathersAbrahamand Isaac;And may they growinto a multitudein the midstof the earth."
But his fatherrefusedand said,"I know,my son,I know;he alsowill becomea peopleand he alsowill be great.However,his youngerbrothershall be greaterthanhe, and his descendantsshall becomea multitudeof nations."
But Mosessaidto the people,"Do not fear!Standby and seethe salvationof the LORDwhichHe will accomplishfor you today;for the Egyptianswhomyou have seentoday,you will neverseethem againforever.
But the morethey afflictedthem, the morethey multipliedand the morethey spreadout, so that they were in dreadof the sonsof Israel.
