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Genesis 14

1In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2they made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. 3All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea. 4They had served Chedorlaomer twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came with the kings beside him. They defeated the Rephaim at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim at Ham, the Emim at Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El-paran, beside the wilderness. 7They turned back and came to En-mishpat, that is, Kadesh. They defeated the whole territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living at Hazazon-tamar.

8The king of Sodom went out with the kings of Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela, that is, Zoar. They drew up for battle against them in the Valley of Siddim: 9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against the five. 10The Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into them, while those remaining fled to the hill country. 11They took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and went away. 12They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son, and his possessions, and went away; he was living in Sodom.

13A fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was dwelling by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were Abram's covenant allies. 14When Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, he mustered his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and pursued as far as Dan. 15He divided his forces against them by night, he and his slaves, and defeated them. He pursued them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16He brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his brother Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the people.

17After he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings beside him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley. 18Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High. 19He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth. 20And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your adversaries into your hand.” And he gave him a tenth of everything. 21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.” 22Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, maker of heaven and earth: 23I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap, or anything that is yours, so that you cannot say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24Nothing for me, except what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

Translation notes 4

14:1–12 — Names; battle. Goiim can be a place designation or mean nations. The Hebrew's explanations of Bela, En-mishpat, and Siddim are retained without supplying modern identifications for uncertain places. Zeboiim follows the reading tradition at verses 2 and 8. Falling into the pits does not expressly say that both kings died there.

14:13–16 — Hebrew; brother; slaves. “Hebrew” is the narrative's designation of Abram, without an etymological explanation here. Lot is called Abram's brother in the broader kinship sense. The trained household-born men are numbered individually; the later verse calls Abram's fighting household men slaves. The draft preserves their social status.

14:18–20 — God Most High; tenth. The divine title is El Elyon. “Maker” can also mean possessor or owner of heaven and earth. The pronouns in the tenth-giving clause do not name the giver and recipient; Abram giving to Melchizedek is the natural narrative reading, but the draft retains the pronouns. No later account of Melchizedek's identity or the bread and wine is inserted.

14:22–24 — Oath; share. Abram identifies the God of his oath as Yahweh, God Most High, in the Hebrew base. Lifting the hand marks an oath. The conditional oath formula is expressed as a firm refusal in English. Abram's refusal does not remove his allies' stated entitlement.