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War of the Kings

¹ And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of ^(C1)Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of ^(C2)Elam, and Tidal king of ^(F1)Goiim,² that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of ^(C1)Admah, and Shemeber king of ^(C2)Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, ^(C3)Zoar).³ All these ^(F1)came as allies to ^(C1)the valley of Siddim (that is, ^(C2)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 ^(F1)defeated the ^(C1)Rephaim in ^(C2)Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in ^(F2)(C3)Shaveh-kiriathaim,⁶ and the ^(C1)Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as ^(C2)El-paran, which is by the wilderness.⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, ^(C1)Kadesh), and ^(F1)conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in ^(C2)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 ^(C1)the valley of Siddim,⁹ against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of ^(F1)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 ^(C1)the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell ^(F1)into them. But those who survived fled to the ^(C2)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, ^(C1)Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, ^(C2)for he was living in Sodom.

¹³ Then ^(F1)a fugitive came and told Abram the ^(C1)Hebrew. Now he was ^(F2)living by the ^(F3)(C2)oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were ^(F4)(C3)allies with Abram.¹⁴ When Abram heard that ^(C1)his ^(F1)relative had been taken captive, he ^(F2)led out his trained men, ^(C2)born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as ^(C3)Dan.^15 (C1)He divided ^(F1)his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and ^(F2)defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is ^(F3)north of ^(C2)Damascus.¹⁶ He ^(C1)brought back all the goods, and also brought back ^(C2)his ^(F1)relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

God's Promise to Abram

¹⁷ Then after his return from the ^(F1)defeat 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 And ^(C1)Melchizedek king of Salem brought out ^(C2)bread and wine; now he was a ^(C3)priest of ^(F1)God Most High.¹⁹ He blessed him and said,

"Blessed be Abram of ^(F1)God Most High,
^(F2)(C1)Possessor of heaven and earth;

²⁰ And blessed be ^(F1)God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
^(C1)He gave him a tenth of all.²¹ The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the ^(F1)people to me and take the goods for yourself."²² Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have ^(F1)sworn to the LORD ^(F2)(C1)God Most High, ^(F3)(C2)possessor of heaven and earth,²³ that ^(C1)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 "^(F1)I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, ^(C1)Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share."