The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household^(A) to the land^(B) I will show you.^(C)

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot^(I) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old^(J) when he set out from Harran.^{(K) 5} He took his wife Sarai,^(L) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated^(M) and the people^(N) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,^(O) and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land^(P) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh^(Q) at Shechem.^(R) At that time the Canaanites^(S) were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram^(T) and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.^(U)”^(V) So he built an altar there to the Lord,^(W) who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel^(X) and pitched his tent,^(Y) with Bethel on the west and Ai^(Z) on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.^(AA)

⁹ Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.^(AB)

Abram in Egypt^(AC)

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land,^(AD) and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.^{(AE) 11} As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,^(AF) “I know what a beautiful woman^(AG) you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister,^(AH) so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.^{(AI) 15} And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.^(AJ)

¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted^(AK) serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household^(AL) because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?”^(AM) he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?^{(AN) 19} Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’^(AO) so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt^(AP) to the Negev,^(AQ) with his wife and everything he had, and Lot^(AR) went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy^(AS) in livestock^(AT) and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev^(AU) he went from place to place until he came to Bethel,^(AV) to the place between Bethel and Ai^(AW) where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where he had first built an altar.^(AX) There Abram called on the name of the Lord.^(AY)

⁵ Now Lot,^(AZ) who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.^{(BA) 7} And quarreling^(BB) arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites^(BC) and Perizzites^(BD) were also living in the land^(BE) at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(BF) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(BG) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(BH) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”^(BI)

¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain^(BJ) of the Jordan toward Zoar^(BK) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,^(BL) like the land of Egypt.^(BM) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom^(BN) and Gomorrah.)^{(BO) 11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan,^(BP) while Lot^(BQ) lived among the cities of the plain^(BR) and pitched his tents near Sodom.^{(BS) 13} Now the people of Sodom^(BT) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.^(BU)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.^{(BV) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[d] forever.^{(BW) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(BX) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(BY) for I am giving it to you.”^(BZ)

¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre^(CA) at Hebron,^(CB) where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.^(CC)

Abram Rescues Lot

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,^[e](CD) Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer^(CE) king of Elam^(CF) and Tidal king of Goyim, ² these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim,^(CG) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).^{(CH) 3} All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim^(CI) (that is, the Dead Sea Valley^(CJ)). ⁴ For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer,^(CK) but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵ In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer^(CL) and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites^(CM) in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites^(CN) in Shaveh Kiriathaim ⁶ and the Horites^(CO) in the hill country of Seir,^(CP) as far as El Paran^(CQ) near the desert. ⁷ Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh),^(CR) and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites,^(CS) as well as the Amorites^(CT) who were living in Hazezon Tamar.^(CU)

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah,^(CV) the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim^(CW) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar)^(CX) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim^{(CY) 9} against Kedorlaomer^(CZ) king of Elam,^(DA) Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim^(DB) was full of tar^(DC) pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah^(DD) fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.^{(DE) 11} The four kings seized all the goods^(DF) of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. ¹² They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot^(DG) and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.^(DH) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre^(DI) the Amorite, a brother^[f] of Eshkol^(DJ) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative^(DK) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained^(DL) men born in his household^(DM) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(DN) 15} During the night Abram divided his men^(DO) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.^{(DP) 16} He recovered^(DQ) all the goods^(DR) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

¹⁷ After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer^(DS) and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom^(DT) came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).^(DU)

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek^(DV) king of Salem^(DW) brought out bread^(DX) and wine.^(DY) He was priest of God Most High,^{(DZ) 19} and he blessed Abram,^(EA) saying,

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.^(EE)

²¹ The king of Sodom^(EF) said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods^(EG) for yourself.”

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom,^(EH) “With raised hand^(EI) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,^(EJ) Creator of heaven and earth,^{(EK) 23} that I will accept nothing belonging to you,^(EL) not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre.^(EM) Let them have their share.”

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes^(A)

He said:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you,^(M) persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.^{(N) 12} Rejoice and be glad,^(O) because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(P)

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.^(Q)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.^(R) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.^{(S) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others,^(T) that they may see your good deeds^(U) and glorify^(V) your Father in heaven.

The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.^{(W) 18} For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.^{(X) 19} Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands^(Y) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.^(Z)

Murder^(AA)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a](AB) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry^(AC) with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment.^(AD) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court.^(AE) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.^(AF)

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.