Lot’s Captivity and Rescue
1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel kingof Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king ofElam, and Tidal king of nations,
2 thatthey made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king ofAdmah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is,Zoar).
3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim(that is, the Salt Sea).
4 Twelve yearsthey served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings thatwerewith him came and attackedthe Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim,the Zuzim in Ham,the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, whichisby the wilderness.
7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (thatis,Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dweltin Hazezon Tamar.
8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (thatis,Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddimwasfullofasphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled;somefell there, and the remainder fledto the mountains.
11 Then they tookall the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
12 They also took Lot, Abram’sbrother’s sonwho dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram theHebrew, forhe dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner;and theywereallies with Abram.
14 Nowwhen Abram heard thathis brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trainedservantswho wereborn in his own house, and went in pursuitas far as Dan.
15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servantsattacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, whichisnorth of Damascus.
16 So hebrought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
17 And the king of Sodomwent out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (thatis,the King’s Valley),after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings whowerewith him.
Abram and Melchizedek
18 ThenMelchizedek king of Salem brought outbread and wine; hewasthe priest ofGod Most High.
19 And he blessed him and said:
# “Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
# Possessor of heaven and earth;
20 Andblessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
# And hegave him a tithe of all.
21 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.”
22 But Abramsaid to the king of Sodom, “Ihave raised my hand to theLord, God Most High,the Possessor of heaven and earth,
23 thatIwilltakenothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything thatisyours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—
24 except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”