Study Desk

Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."

So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.

And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will allow you to live.

When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.

Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.

Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way.

They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.

I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me-Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion."

Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own; they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant's way. After that, you may continue on your way." "Yes," they replied, "you may do as you have said."

Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.

When the men got up to leave they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.

and said, "My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."

But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.