Genesis 13-14

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had and Lot with him, into the Negeb.^(A)

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ He journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,^{(B) 4} to the place where he had made an altar at the first, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.^{(C) 5} Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶ and the land could not support both of them living together because their possessions were so great that they could not live together. ⁷ Thus strife arose between the herders of Abram’s livestock and the herders of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.^(D)

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me and between your herders and my herders, for we are kindred.^{(E) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ Lot looked about him and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.^{(F) 11} So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom.^{(G) 13} Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.^(H)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,^{(I) 15} for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.^{(J) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.^{(K) 17} Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”^{(L) 18} So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks^[a] of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.^(M)

Lot’s Captivity and Rescue

14 In the days of King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim,^{(N) 2} these kings made war with King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.^{(O) 3} All these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Dead Sea.^{[b](P) 4} Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,^{(Q) 6} and the Horites in the hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the edge of the wilderness;^{(R) 7} then they turned back and came to En-mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and subdued all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.^{(S) 8} Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar, went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ with King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar, four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. ¹¹ So the enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went their way;^{(T) 12} they also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who lived in Sodom, and his goods and departed.^(U)

¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks^[c] of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner; these were allies of Abram.^{(V) 14} When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(W) 15} He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ Then he brought back all the goods and also brought back his nephew Lot with his goods and the women and the people.^(X)

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek

¹⁷ After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King’s Valley.^{(Y) 18} And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.^{[d](Z) 19} He blessed him and said,

And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.^{(AB) 21} Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to God^[g] Most High,^[h] maker of heaven and earth,^{(AC) 23} that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you might not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’^{(AD) 24} I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share.”