創世記 14
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
亞伯蘭救回羅得
14 1-2 那時，示拿王暗拉非、以拉撒王亞略、以攔王基大老瑪和戈印王提達聯合攻打以下五王：所多瑪王比拉、蛾摩拉王比沙、押瑪王示納、洗扁王善以別和比拉王，即瑣珥王。 3 五王會師西訂谷，即鹽海。 4 他們受基大老瑪王統治十二年，在第十三年叛變了。 5 第十四年，基大老瑪聯合其他王在亞特律·加寧打敗利乏音人，在哈麥打敗蘇西人，在沙微·基列亭打敗以米人， 6 在西珥山打敗住在那裡的何利人，直殺到靠近曠野的伊勒·巴蘭。 7 然後，他們返回安·密巴，即加低斯，征服了亞瑪力全境以及住在哈洗遜·他瑪的亞摩利人。 8 那時，所多瑪王、蛾摩拉王、押瑪王、洗扁王和比拉王，即瑣珥王，在西訂谷擺開陣勢， 9 抵抗以攔王基大老瑪、戈印王提達、示拿王暗拉非和以拉撒王亞略：四王跟五王交戰。 10 西訂谷有許多柏油坑，所多瑪王和蛾摩拉王敗走的時候，有些人掉進坑裡，其他人都往山上逃命。 11 四王把所多瑪和蛾摩拉所有的財物和糧食洗劫一空， 12 並劫走亞伯蘭的侄兒羅得和他的財物，那時羅得正住在所多瑪。
13 有一個逃出來的人把這件事情告訴了希伯來人亞伯蘭。那時，亞伯蘭住在亞摩利人幔利的橡樹那裡。幔利是以實各和亞乃的兄弟，三人都是亞伯蘭的盟友。 14 亞伯蘭聽見侄兒被擄的消息，便率領家中三百一十八名訓練有素的壯丁去追趕他們，一直追到但。 15 夜裡，亞伯蘭和他的隨從分頭出擊，大敗敵人，一直追殺到大馬士革北面的何巴， 16 奪回所有被劫的財物，並救出他侄兒羅得和他的財物、婦女及其他人。
麥基洗德祝福亞伯蘭
17 亞伯蘭大敗基大老瑪及其盟軍後凱旋歸來，所多瑪王到沙微谷來迎接他們。沙微谷即王谷。 18 撒冷王麥基洗德也帶著餅和酒出來相迎，他是至高上帝的祭司。 19 他祝福亞伯蘭說：
「願創造天地的主、至高的上帝賜福給亞伯蘭！
20 將敵人交在你手中的至高上帝當受稱頌！」
於是，亞伯蘭把所得的十分之一給麥基洗德。 21 所多瑪王對亞伯蘭說：「請把我的人民交還給我，你可以把財物拿去。」 22 亞伯蘭對他說：「我向創造天地的主、至高的上帝耶和華起誓， 23 凡是你的東西，就是一根線、一條鞋帶，我都不會拿，免得你說，『我使亞伯蘭發了財！』 24 除了我的隨從已經吃用的以外，我什麼也不要。至於我的盟友亞乃、以實各和幔利所應得的戰利品，請分給他們。」
Genesis 14
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 14
Lot’s Captivity and Rescue.[a] 1 When Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 there was a war between them and Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All the latter kings gathered in the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Dead Sea. 4 For twelve years they were vassals of Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.
5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him arrived and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim 6 and the Horites on Mount Seir as far as El-paran, which borders the desert. 7 They then changed direction and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kedesh), and they plundered the land of the Amalekites as well the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
8 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 to the Valley of Siddim and did battle with them, 9 with Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, Tidal, king of Goiim, Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar. There were four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pools. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into these pools. The others fled into the mountains. 11 The four kings took all the possessions and provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 12 They also captured Lot, the son of the brother of Abram, and all his possessions (for he lived in Sodom).
13 One of those who escaped captivity came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew who was camped at the Oak of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner, who were Abram’s allies. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he organized the armed men who had been born to his household. There were three hundred and eighteen of them. They gave chase as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces and his servants, and defeated them during the night, following them all the way to Hobah, to the north of Damascus. 16 He recovered the booty and also Lot, his relative, and his possessions, as well as the women and the other people.
17 Meeting with Melchizedek near Jerusalem.[b] When Abram returned after defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom met him in the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the Valley of the King.
18 Melchizedek, the king of Salem,[c] offered bread and wine. As a priest of God Most High, 19 he blessed Abram with these words,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of the heavens and the earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High
who has delivered your enemy into your hands.”
Then Abram gave him a tithe of all he had taken.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people; you take the booty.”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of the heavens and the earth,[d] 23 that I would not take anything for myself, not even a thread or a sandal strap, lest you be able to say, ‘I have enriched Abram.’ 24 I want nothing for myself other than what my servants have already eaten. As for the men who have accompanied me, Eshcol, Aner, and Mamre, they can take their own shares.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 14:1 Chapter 14, which is perhaps from a special source, locates the life of Abraham within the history of the ancient East.
- Genesis 14:17 It is not impossible that Melchizedek, the Canaanite priest of the supreme god El had found faith in the true God (see Vatican II, Lumen gentium, no. 16). His offering of bread and wine was undoubtedly a sacrifice of thanksgiving (also known as a communion sacrifice), in which the gifts offered to the divinity were then divided among those present and consumed, to signify that human beings are called to table fellowship with God.
According to Hebrew exegetes, these two personages prefigure David, descendant of Abraham and distant successor of Melchizedek on the throne of Jerusalem. In blessing Abraham, Melchizedek was blessing David, the instrument of God’s conquests, who after conquering Jerusalem made it the center of worship of the Lord (2 Sam 6). At the same time, in paying homage to Melchizedek, Abraham was paying homage to Jerusalem, the city that the Lord would choose as his own dwelling and that from that time forward would worship the true God. It is clear that these visions needed to be broadened. According to Ps 110:4, Melchizedek prefigures Christ, a descendant of David, because only in this new David will kingship and priesthood be united again as they were long ago in Melchizedek; moreover, Christ will have an everlasting priesthood, different from the hereditary priesthood that began with Aaron. The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 7, will explain the message of the psalm, saying that, since tithes are paid to a superior, Abraham’s action was one of homage to a priesthood higher than the Israelite temple priesthood. Behind the veil of the ancient priest-king we are therefore to discern the person of Christ, who in virtue of his own sacrifice that will be completed in Jerusalem is the true source of the blessing bestowed on Abraham, that is, his victory and liberation of prisoners (see a similar observation in 1 Cor 10:4) and all the victories of the people of God. For this reason the Christian tradition sees in Melchizedek’s sacrifice of bread and wine (see the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass, the Roman Canon) a sign and prediction of the Eucharist, which is the thanksgiving for the redemption wrought by Christ and a pledge of victory for believers who remain in union with him. - Genesis 14:18 Salem, according to the entire Jewish tradition, is none other than Jerusalem (Ps 76:3). This very old Canaanite city was already inhabited before 3000 B.C. and is explicitly mentioned in Egyptian texts beginning with the start of the 19th century B.C. God Most High: in Hebrew, El-Elyon, a compound name made up of two Phoenician-Canaanite names for the supreme divinity; the writer sees in Melchizedek a worshiper of the true God.
- Genesis 14:22 A form of solemn oath.
Genesis 14
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Lot’s Captivity and Rescue
14 In the days of Am′raphel king of Shinar, Ar′ioch king of Ella′sar, Ched-or-lao′mer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goi′im, 2 these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomor′rah, Shinab king of Admah, Sheme′ber king of Zeboi′im, and the king of Bela (that is, Zo′ar). 3 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Ched-or-lao′mer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Ched-or-lao′mer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Reph′aim in Ash′teroth-karna′im, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Sha′veh-kiriatha′im, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Se′ir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness; 7 then they turned back and came to En-mish′pat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amal′ekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Haz′azon-ta′mar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomor′rah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboi′im, and the king of Bela (that is, Zo′ar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 with Ched-or-lao′mer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goi′im, Am′raphel king of Shinar, and Ar′ioch king of Ella′sar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomor′rah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the mountain. 11 So the enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomor′rah, and all their provisions, and went their way; 12 they also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 Then one who had escaped came, and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks[a] of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner; these were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And 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 kinsman Lot with his goods, and the women and the people.
Abram Blessed by Melchizedek
17 After his return from the defeat of Ched-or-lao′mer 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). 18 And Melchiz′edek[b] king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth;
20 and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And 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 the Lord God Most High, maker of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal-thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me; let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 14:13 Or terebinths
- 14.18 Melchizedek was later taken as a Messianic figure (Ps 110.4) and interpreted in the New Testament as foreshadowing Christ, whose priesthood (including the offering of bread and wine) exceeds that of the Old Testament; cf. Heb. 7.1-7.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.