Study Desk

And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of ^(a)Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of ^(b)Elam, and Tidal king of ^[a]Goiim,

that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of ^(c)Admah, and Shemeber king of ^(d)Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, ^(e)Zoar).

All these ^[b]came as allies to ^(f)the valley of Siddim (that is, ^(g)the Salt Sea).

Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and ^[c]defeated the ^(h)Rephaim in ⁽ⁱ⁾Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in ^[d](j)Shaveh-kiriathaim,

and the ^(k)Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as ^(l)El-paran, which is by the wilderness.

Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, ^(m)Kadesh), and ^[e]conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in ⁽ⁿ⁾Hazazon-tamar.

And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in ^(o)the valley of Siddim,

against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of ^[f]Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and ^(p)the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell ^[g]into them. But those who survived fled to the ^(q)hill country.

Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.

They also took Lot, ^(r)Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, ^(s)for he was living in Sodom.

Then ^[h]a fugitive came and told Abram the ^(t)Hebrew. Now he was ^[i]living by the ^[j](u)oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were ^[k](v)allies with Abram.

When Abram heard that ^(w)his ^[l]relative had been taken captive, he ^[m]led out his trained men, ^(x)born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as ^(y)Dan.

^(z)He divided ^[n]his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and ^[o]defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is ^[p]north of ^(aa)Damascus.

He ^(ab)brought back all the goods, and also brought back ^(ac)his ^[q]relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

Then after his return from the ^[r]defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, ^(ad)the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, ^(ae)the King's Valley).

And ^(af)Melchizedek king of Salem brought out ^(ag)bread and wine; now he was a ^(ah)priest of ^[s]God Most High.

He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of ^[t]God Most High, ^[u](ai)Possessor of heaven and earth;

And blessed be ^[v]God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." ^(aj)He gave him a tenth of all.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the ^[w]people to me and take the goods for yourself."

Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have ^[x]sworn to the Lord ^[y](ak)God Most High, ^[z](al)possessor of heaven and earth,

that ^(am)I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, ‘I have made Abram rich.'

^[aa]I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, ^(an)Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share."