Study Desk

Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev^(a)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him.

Abram was very rich^[a] in livestock, silver, and gold.

He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been,

to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there.^(b)

Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents.

But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,^(c)

and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.^(d) At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.^(e)

Then Abram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.^[b]

Isn't the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left."

Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley^(f) as far as^[c] Zoar^(g) was well watered everywhere like the Lord 's garden^(h) and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.⁽ⁱ⁾

So Lot chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other.

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom.

Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly^[d] against the Lord .^(j)

After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, "Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,^(k)

for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.^(l)

I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,^(m) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you."

So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,⁽ⁿ⁾ where he built an altar to the Lord .

In those days Amraphel king of Shinar,^(a) Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam,^[a](b) and Tidal^[b] king of Goiim^[c]

waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim,^(c) as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar^(d)).

All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea^(e)).

They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim^(f) in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham,^(g) the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

and the Horites^(h) in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran⁽ⁱ⁾ by the wilderness.

Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh^(j)), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.^(k)

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim

against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them,^[d] but the rest fled to the mountains.^(l)

The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on.

They also took Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom,^(m) and they went on.

One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew,⁽ⁿ⁾ who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with^[e] Abram.

When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled^[f] his 318 trained men, born in his household,^(o) and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.^(p)

And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus.

He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley^(q)).

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem,^[g](r) brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.^(s)

He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator^[h] of heaven and earth,

and I give praise to^[i] God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.^(t)

Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself."

But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand in an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.'

I will take nothing^[j] except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share."

After these events, the word of the Lord came^(a) to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid,^(b) Abram. I am your shield;^(c) your reward will be very great.

But Abram said, "Lord God , what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"^[a]

Abram continued, "Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in^[b] my house will be my heir."

Now the word of the Lord came to him: "This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body^[c] will be your heir."

He took him outside and said, "Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then He said to him, "Your offspring will be that numerous."^(d)

Abram believed the Lord , and He credited it to him as righteousness.^(e)

He also said to him, "I am Yahweh who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess."^(f)

But he said, "Lord God , how can I know^(g) that I will possess it?"

He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

So he brought all these to Him, split them down the middle, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut up the birds.^(h)

Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

As the sun was setting, a deep sleep⁽ⁱ⁾ fell on Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.

Then the Lord said to Abram,^(j) "Know this for certain: Your offspring will be foreigners^(k) in a land that does not belong to them; they will be enslaved and oppressed^[d] 400 years.^(l)

However, I will judge the nation they serve,^(m) and afterward they will go out with many possessions.⁽ⁿ⁾

But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.^(o)

In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."^[e](p)

When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "I give this land to your offspring,^(q) from the brook of Egypt^(r) to the Euphrates River:^[f]

the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim,

Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."