Genesis 14

War of the Kings

1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,2  that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).3 All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness.7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar.8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim,9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five.10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them. But those who survived fled to the hill country.11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.12 They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.

13 Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.15 He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.16 He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

God's Promise to Abram

17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.19 He blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;

20 And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
He gave him a tenth of all.21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself."22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.'24 I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share."

Genesis 15

Abram Promised a Son

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
"Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great."2 Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"3 And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.7 And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it."8 He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?"9 So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.13  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 four hundred years.14 But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.16 Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
"To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite."

Genesis 16

Sarai and Hagar

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me."6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."11 The angel of the LORD said to her further,
"Behold, you are with child,
And you will bear a son;
And you shall call his name tIshmael,
Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.

12 "He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone's hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers."13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"14 Therefore the well was called tBeer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.