UST GEN Chapter 14

Abram Rescues Lot from Four Kings

14:1-16

14 During that time Amraphel was the king over the land of Shinar, Arioch was the king over the city of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer was the king over the land of Elam, and Tidal was the king over the Goyim people. 2 Those four kings joined forces and went to war against five other kings, including Bera who was the king over the city of Sodom, Birsha who was the king over the city of Gomorrah, Shinab who was the king over the city of Admah, Shemeber who was the king over the city of Zeboyim, and the king over the town of Bela, which is also called Zoar. 3 Those five kings all united their armies as allies and fought against the four kings in the Siddim Valley, where the Salt Sea is now.

4 For twelve years the five kings had paid tribute to King Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they started to rebel against him. 5 Then during the fourteenth year King Chedorlaomer and the three kings who were his allies united their armies and went to war against all their enemies. First they defeated the Rephaites in the city of Ashteroth-Karnaim, then the Zuzites in the city of Ham, the Emites in the city of Shaveh-Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites who lived in the Seir Mountains all the way to the city of El Paran, which is located near the desert. 7 Next those four kings and their armies turned around and went to the city of En Mishpat, which is also called Kadesh. They conquered the entire territory where the Amalekites lived, as well as the Amorites, who lived in the city of Hazezon Tamar.

8 Then the king over the city of Sodom, the king over the city of Gomorrah, the king over the city of Admah, the king over the city of Zeboyim, and the king over the town of Bela, which is also called Zoar, marched out with their armies into the Siddim Valley and got ready to fight 9 against Chedorlaomer who was the king over the land of Elam, Tidal who was the king over the Goyim, Amraphel who was the king over the land of Shinar, and Arioch who was the king over the kingdom of Ellasar. Then the four kings attacked the five kings and started defeating them.

10 Now there were many tar pits in the Siddim Valley. As the kings over the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their soldiers were running away from the battle, some of their soldiers died there in the tar pits. Those who escaped ran away to the mountains to hide. 11 Then the four kings seized all the people’s belongings in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, including all their food, and carried it away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his belongings, since he was living in the city of Sodom.

13 But someone from Sodom escaped from the battle and went to Abram the Hebrew and reported to him what had happened. At that time Abram was still living near the oak trees that were owned by Mamre the Amorite, who was the brother of Eshcol and Aner. Those three men had made a pact with Abram to be his allies. 14 When Abram heard that the four kings had captured his nephew Lot, he called together 318 of his servants who had been born in his household and were skilled warriors. Then together with his allies they chased after the four kings and their armies all the way to the town of Dan. 15 There during the night Abram and his men divided into groups, surprise attacked the four kings and their soldiers, and defeated them. Then they chased them as far as the town of Hobah, which is located north of the city of Damascus. 16 As a result, Abram recovered all the people’s belongings that the four kings had taken. He also rescued his nephew Lot and his belongings, as well as the women and all the other people whom the kings had captured.

Melchizedek Blesses Abram

14:17-24

17 After Abram defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other three kings who were Chedorlaomer’s allies, he started to return home. When he reached the Shaveh Valley, which is also called the King’s Valley, the king over the city of Sodom came there and welcomed him. 18 Melchizedek who was the king over the city of Salem also came there, and he brought food and wine for Abram and his men to eat and drink. King Melchizedek was also a priest who served the God who is greater than all other gods. 19 So he blessed Abram by saying to him,

“May the greatest God, who owns heaven and earth, bless you.

20 Praise the greatest God,

because he enabled you to defeat your enemies!”

Then Abram gave King Melchizedek ten percent of everything that he had recovered in the battle. 21 After that, the king over the city of Sodom said to Abram, “Please return to me the people whom you rescued, but keep for yourself their belongings that you recovered.” 22 But Abram replied to him, “I raise my hand and swear to Yahweh, who is the greatest God and the One who owns heaven and earth, 23 that I will not accept anything that is yours or your people’s, not even a piece of string or the strap from a sandal. That way you can never say that you were the one who made me rich. 24 So I will only keep what my warriors ate and the part of the plunder that Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre deserve for being my allies. Please let them have their part of the plunder.”