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War of the Kings

¹ In the days of the Eastern kings Amraphel of ^(C1)Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of ^(C2)Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,² they invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of ^(C1)Admah, Shemeber king of ^(C2)Zeboiim, and the king of Bela ^(F1)(that is, ^(C3)Zoar).³ All of these kings joined together as allies in ^(C1)the Valley of Siddim (that is, ^(C2)the Sea of Salt).⁴ Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer the most powerful king in the invading confederacy, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the three kings who were with him attacked and subdued the ^(C1)Rephaim in ^(C2)Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in ^(C3)Shaveh-kiriathaim,⁶ and the ^(C1)Horites in their mountainous country of Seir, as far as ^(C2)El-paran, which is on the border of the wilderness.⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, ^(C1)Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in ^(C2)Hazazon-tamar.⁸ Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they joined together for battle with the invading kings in ^(C1)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 (bitumen) pits; and as ^(C1)the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them. But the remainder of the kings who survived fled to the ^(C2)hill country.¹¹ Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left.¹² And they also took captive Lot, ^(C1)Abram's nephew, and his possessions and left, for ^(C2)he was living in Sodom.

¹³ Then a survivor who had escaped from the invading forces on the other side of the Jordan came and told Abram the ^(F1)(C1)Hebrew. Now he was living by the ^(C2)terebinths (oaks) of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner—they were ^(C3)allies of Abram.¹⁴ When Abram heard that ^(C1)his nephew Lot had been captured, he armed and led out his trained men, ^(C2)born in his own house, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far north as ^(C3)Dan.^15 (C1)He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of ^(C2)Damascus.¹⁶ And he ^(C1)brought back all the goods, and also brought back ^(C2)his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

Abram and Melchizedek

¹⁷ Then after Abram's return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, ^(C1)the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, ^(C2)the King's Valley).^18 (F1)(C1)Melchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out ^(C2)bread and wine for them; he was the ^(C3)priest of ^(F2)God Most High.¹⁹ And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said,

"Blessed (joyful, favored) be Abram by God Most High,
^(C1)Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth;

²⁰ And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High,
Who has given your enemies into your hand."
And Abram ^(C1)gave him a tenth of all the treasure he had taken in battle. ^(VR1)