Genesis 14

Abram Rescues Lot

1 At that time four kings—King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim—2 went to war against five kings—King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).3 The five kings joined forces and met in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea).4 For 12 years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came and defeated the Rephaim at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim at Shaveh Kiriathaim,6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, going as far as El Paran on the edge of the desert.

7 On their way back, they came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who were living at Hazazon Tamar.
8 Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and prepared for battle in the valley of Siddim.9 They fought against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five.10 The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. As the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell because of the tar pits, but the other kings fled to the hills.11 So the four kings took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as all their food, and left.

12 They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions since he was living in Sodom.
13 Then a soldier who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew what had happened. He was living next to the oak trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner. (These men were Abram’s allies.)14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he armedt his 318 trained men, born in his own household, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan.15 He split up his men to attack them at night. He defeated them, pursuing them all the way to Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

16 He brought back everything they had, including women and soldiers. He also brought back his relative Lot and his possessions.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

17 After Abram came back from defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley).18 Then King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High.

19 He blessed Abram, and said,
“Blessed is Abram by God Most High,Makert of heaven and earth.20 Blessed is God Most High,who has handed your enemies over to you.”Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and keep everything else for yourself.”22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I now raise my hand and solemnly swear to the Lord God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth,23 that I won’t take a thread or a sandal strap. I won’t take anything that is yours so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

24 I won’t take one single thing except what my men have eaten. But let my allies Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Genesis 15

The Lord’s Fourth Promise to Abram

1 Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said,“Abram, don’t be afraid.I am your shield.Your reward will be very great.”t2 Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inheritt my household.

3 You have given me no children, so this member of my household will be my heir.”
4 Suddenly, the Lord spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.”5 He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”6 Then Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord regarded that faith to be his approval of Abram.

7 Then the Lord said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land so that you will take possession of it.”
8 Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, how can I be certain that I will take possession of it?”9 He answered Abram, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a mourning dove, and a pigeon.”

10 So Abram brought all these animals to him. He cut each of them in half and laid each half opposite the other. However, he did not cut the birds in half.
11 When birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was just about to set, a deep sleep—a dreadful, deep darkness—came over Abram.
13 God said to Abram, “You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years.14 But I will punish the nation they serve, and after that they will come out with many possessions.15 But you will die in peace and be buried at a very old age.

16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, because the sin of the Amorites will not have run its course until then.”
17 The sun had gone down, and it was dark. Suddenly a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the animal pieces.18 At that time the Lord made a promiset to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.19 It is the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Genesis 16

Abram and Hagar

1 Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don’t you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed with Sarai.
3 After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner.
5 So Sarai complained to Abram, “I’m being treated unfairly! And it’s your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s being disrespectful to me. May the Lord decide who is right—you or me.”6 Abram answered Sarai, “Here, she’s your slave. Do what you like with her.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.7 The Messenger of the Lord found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the way to Shur.

8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
She answered, “I’m running away from my owner Sarai.”9 The Messenger of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your owner, and place yourself under her authority.”10 The Messenger of the Lord also said to her, “I will give you many descendants. No one will be able to count them because there will be so many.”

11 Then the Messenger of the Lord said to her,
“You are pregnant,and you will give birth to a son.You will name him Ishmael [God Hears],because the Lord has heard your cry of distress.12 He will be as free and wild as an untamed donkey.He will fight with everyone, and everyone will fight with him.He will have conflicts with all his relatives.”t13 Hagar named the Lord, who had been speaking to her, “You Are the God Who Watches Over Me.” She said, “This is the place where I watched the one who watches over me.”

14 This is why the well is named Beer Lahai Roi [Well of the Living One Who Watches Over Me]. It is still there between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son. Abram named him Ishmael.

16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.