Then the Lord said to him,“ You can be sure of what I am about to tell you. For 400 years, your family who comes after you will be strangers in another country. They will become slaves there and will be treated badly.

耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要的确知道，你的后裔必寄居别人的地，又服侍那地的人；那地的人要苦待他们四百年。

耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要确实知道，你的后裔必寄居在别人的地，服事那地的人；那地的人要虐待他们四百年。

耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要确实知道，你的后裔必寄居在别人的地，服事那地的人；那地的人要虐待他们四百年。

耶和华对他说：“你要清楚知道，你的后裔必流落异乡，被奴役、虐待四百年。

耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要确实地知道，你的后裔必在外地寄居，也必服事那地的人，那地的人苦待他们四百年。

耶和华对亚伯兰说：“你要确切知道：你的后裔将在不属于自己的地上寄居，并服事那地的人；那地的人将苦待他们四百年。

耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要的確知道，你的後裔必寄居別人的地，又服事那地的人；那地的人要苦待他們四百年。

耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要確實知道，你的後裔必寄居在別人的地，服事那地的人；那地的人要虐待他們四百年。

耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要確實知道，你的後裔必寄居在別人的地，服事那地的人；那地的人要虐待他們四百年。

耶和華對他說：「你要清楚知道，你的後裔必流落異鄉，被奴役、虐待四百年。

耶和華對亞伯蘭說：“你要確實地知道，你的後裔必在外地寄居，也必服事那地的人，那地的人苦待他們四百年。

永恆主對亞伯蘭說：『你要確實知道：你的後裔必寄居在一個不是自己之地的所在，必服事那地的人，那地的人必苦害他們四百年。

耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要確切知道：你的後裔將在不屬於自己的地上寄居，並服事那地的人；那地的人將苦待他們四百年。

耶和華諭之曰、爾當實知、汝裔必旅於異邦、服役良苦、歷四百年、

耶和華曰、爾當知爾苗裔必旅於異邦、服役良苦、歷四百年。

主諭亞伯蘭曰、爾當知爾後裔必旅於異邦、異邦人役之苦之、歷四百年、

Then the Lord said to him,“ Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.

Then the Lord said to Abram,“ Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

Then the Lord said to Abram,“ You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.

Then the LORD said to Abram,“ Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed.

Then God said to Abram,“ Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

Then He said to Abram:“ Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.

And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Then the Lord said to Abram,“ Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years.

And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land[ that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Then the LORD said to Abram,“ Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.

He said to Abram,“ Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

Here is what God said to him.‘ For 400 years your family after you will be strangers in a country not their own. They will be slaves and will be treated badly.But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves,’ God said.‘ After that, they will leave that country and worship me here.’( Genesis 15:13, 14)

Here is what I mean. The law came 430 years after the promise. But the law does not get rid of God’s covenant and promise. The covenant had already been made by God. So the law does not do away with the promise.

So the Egyptians put slave drivers over the people of Israel. The slave drivers treated them badly and made them work hard. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses so Pharaoh could store things there.

The Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years.Then all the Lord’ s people marched out of Egypt like an army. That happened at the end of the 430 years, to the exact day.

“ In Egypt the number of our people grew and grew. It was nearly time for God to make his promise to Abraham come true.

Here are the names of Israel’s children who went to Egypt with Jacob. Each one went with his family.Jacob’s sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,

Treat them as if they were one of your own people. Love them as you love yourself. Remember that all of you were outsiders in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Later on, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said,“ The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,‘ Let my people go. Then they will be able to hold a feast to honor me in the desert.’ ”Pharaoh said,“ Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don’t even know the Lord. And I won’t let Israel go.”Then Moses and Aaron said,“ The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t, he might strike us with plagues. Or he might let us be killed by swords.”But the king of Egypt said,“ Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to work!”Pharaoh continued,“ There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working.”That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the overseers in charge of the people.He said,“ Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw.But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”The slave drivers and the overseers left. They said to the people,“ Pharaoh says,‘ I won’t give you any more straw.Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ ”So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw left in the fields.Pharaoh’s slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said,“ Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.”The slave drivers whipped the Israelite overseers they had appointed. The slave drivers asked,“ Why haven’t you made the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?”Then the Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh. They asked,“ Why have you treated us like this?You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us,‘ Make bricks!’ We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.”Pharaoh said,“ You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told,“ Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.”When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them.They said to Moses and Aaron,“ We want the Lord to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords.”Moses returned to talk to the Lord. He said to him,“ Why, Lord? Why have you brought trouble on these people? Is this why you sent me?I went to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name. Ever since then, he has brought nothing but trouble on these people. And you haven’t saved your people at all.”

So you also must love outsiders. Remember that you yourselves were outsiders in Egypt.

“ Do not treat outsiders badly. Do not give them a hard time. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.

You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever and so will all your family after you. And I will be their God.”

Then the rest of Jacob’s family went to Egypt. The people of Israel lived as outsiders in the land of Ham.The Lord gave his people so many children that there were too many of them for their enemies.He made the Egyptians hate his people. The Egyptians made evil plans against them.

“ Do not treat outsiders badly. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.

He said,“ I will give you the land of Canaan. It will belong to you.”At first there weren’t very many of God’s people. There were only a few, and they were strangers in the land.

Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going.Because of his faith he made his home in the land God had promised him. Abraham was like an outsider in a strange country. He lived there in tents. So did Isaac and Jacob. They received the same promise he did.Abraham was looking forward to the city that has foundations. He was waiting for the city that God planned and built.And Sarah had faith. So God made it possible for her to become a mother. She became a mother even though she was too old to have children. But Sarah believed that the God who made the promise was faithful.Abraham was past the time when he could have children. But many children came from that one man. They were as many as the stars in the sky. They were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one could count them.All these people were still living by faith when they died. They didn’t receive the things God had promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a long way off. They openly said that they were outsiders and strangers on earth.