Open English Translation GEN Chapter 14

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch was king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of the Goyim, 2 they went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also known as Tso’ar). 3 Those latter five kings joined forces in the Siddim valley (also known as the Salt Sea valley). 4 They had been subject to King Kedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 Then in the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him went and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Se’ir as far as El Paran, which is near the wilderness. 7 Then those four kings turned back and went to En Mishpat (also called Kadesh) and they attacked the entire territories of the Amalekites and also the Amorites, who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar) went out into the Siddim Valley and arranged their troops for battle 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar—five kings defending themselves against the four. 10 Now the Siddim Valley had many tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the pits, but the rest fled up into the hills. 11 Then the four attacking kings took all the peoples’ possessions from Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and left.

12 Abram’s nephew Lot and all his possessions also got taken because he was living in the city of Sodom, 13 but someone who escaped came and reported this news to Abram the Hebrew. At that time, Abram was still living by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner, and the three of them had formed an alliance together. 14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led out his 318 trained men who’d all been born in his house, and he pursued his enemies as far as the town of Dan. 15 During the night, Abram split in his slaves into groups and they attacked the four kings and their soldiers and pursued them to Hobah (north of Damascus). 16 They were able to bring back all the possessions, as well as his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women and the other people who’d been captured.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in Shaveh valley (also called the king’s valley) . 18 Then Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine—he was a priest to the most high God.[ref] 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram, saying:

“May Abram be blessed by the most high God,

the owner of heaven and earth.

20 Praise the most high God,

who enabled you to defeat your enemies.”

Then Abram gave to Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had recovered.

21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give my people back to me, but keep the possessions for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I promise by Yahweh, most high God, the owner of heaven and earth, 23 that I won’t take anything of yours, not even the strap of a sandal, so that you won’t be able to say that it was you who made me wealthy. 24 I’ll take nothing, except what the young fighters have eaten, and the share of the other men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share.”