Abram Rescues Lot

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,^[a](A) Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer^(B) king of Elam^(C) 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,^(D) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).^{(E) 3} All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim^(F) (that is, the Dead Sea Valley^(G)). ⁴ For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer,^(H) but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵ In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer^(I) and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites^(J) in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites^(K) in Shaveh Kiriathaim ⁶ and the Horites^(L) in the hill country of Seir,^(M) as far as El Paran^(N) near the desert. ⁷ Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh),^(O) and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites,^(P) as well as the Amorites^(Q) who were living in Hazezon Tamar.^(R)

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah,^(S) the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim^(T) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar)^(U) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim^{(V) 9} against Kedorlaomer^(W) king of Elam,^(X) Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim^(Y) was full of tar^(Z) pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah^(AA) fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.^{(AB) 11} The four kings seized all the goods^(AC) of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. ¹² They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot^(AD) and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.^(AE) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre^(AF) the Amorite, a brother^[b] of Eshkol^(AG) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative^(AH) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained^(AI) men born in his household^(AJ) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(AK) 15} During the night Abram divided his men^(AL) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.^{(AM) 16} He recovered^(AN) all the goods^(AO) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

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

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek^(AS) king of Salem^(AT) brought out bread^(AU) and wine.^(AV) He was priest of God Most High,^{(AW) 19} and he blessed Abram,^(AX) saying,

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

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

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom,^(BE) “With raised hand^(BF) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,^(BG) Creator of heaven and earth,^{(BH) 23} that I will accept nothing belonging to you,^(BI) 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.^(BJ) Let them have their share.”

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram^(BK) in a vision:^(BL)

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(BP) what can you give me since I remain childless^(BQ) and the one who will inherit^[e] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?^(BR)” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant^(BS) in my household^(BT) will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.^(BU)” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(BV)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[f] be.”^(BW)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(BX)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out^(BY) of Ur of the Chaldeans^(BZ) to give you this land to take possession of it.”^(CA)

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(CB) how can I know^(CC) that I will gain possession of it?”^(CD)

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,^(CE) a goat and a ram, each three years old,^(CF) along with a dove and a young pigeon.^(CG)”

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;^(CH) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.^{(CI) 11} Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,^(CJ) but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(CK) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years^(CL) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved^(CM) and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out^(CN) with great possessions.^{(CO) 15} You, however, will go to your ancestors^(CP) in peace and be buried at a good old age.^{(CQ) 16} In the fourth generation^(CR) your descendants will come back here,^(CS) for the sin of the Amorites^(CT) has not yet reached its full measure.”

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(CU) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(CV) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(CW) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(CX) from the Wadi^[g] of Egypt^(CY) to the great river, the Euphrates^(CZ)— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites,^(DA) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,^(DB) Perizzites,^(DC) Rephaites,^{(DD) 21} Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”^(DE)

Psalm 10^[a]

Judging Others^(A)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.^{(B) 2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^(C)

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(D)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you;^(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;^(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts^(G) to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,^(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.^(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.