13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.(A) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre(B) the Amorite, a brother[a] of Eshkol(C) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative(D) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained(E) men born in his household(F) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.(G) 15 During the night Abram divided his men(H) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.(I) 16 He recovered(J) all the goods(K) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

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

18 Then Melchizedek(O) king of Salem(P) brought out bread(Q) and wine.(R) He was priest of God Most High,(S) 19 and he blessed Abram,(T) saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,(U)
    Creator of heaven and earth.(V)
20 And praise be to God Most High,(W)
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.(X)

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

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom,(AA) “With raised hand(AB) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,(AC) Creator of heaven and earth,(AD) 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you,(AE) 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.(AF) Let them have their share.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 14:13 Or a relative; or an ally

13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

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I will make you very fruitful;(A) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.(B)

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And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

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21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(A) his mother got a wife for him(B) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

22 At that time Abimelek(C) and Phicol the commander of his forces(D) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(E) 23 Now swear(F) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(G) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(H)

24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(I) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(J) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(K) that I dug this well.(L)

31 So that place was called Beersheba,[a](M) because the two men swore an oath(N) there.

32 After the treaty(O) had been made at Beersheba,(P) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(Q) returned to the land of the Philistines.(R)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

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