KJV ORIGINAL
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And God said to him, 'Bring me a three-year-old female cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old male sheep, a dove, and a young pigeon.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is instructing Abraham to gather specific animals for a covenant ceremony that will confirm His promises.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, but Abraham asked for assurance of God's covenant. In ancient times, formal agreements were often sealed through animal sacrifice rituals where the parties would walk between the pieces of sacrificed animals, symbolically saying 'may this happen to me if I break this covenant.'
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