Saying 20

Saying 21

Saying 22

Saying 23

Saying 24

Saying 25

Saying 26

Saying 27

Saying 28

Saying 29

Saying 30

Further Sayings of the Wise

²³ These also are sayings of the wise:^(U)

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)

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai,^(DF) Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.^(DG) But she had an Egyptian slave^(DH) named Hagar;^{(DI) 2} so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children.^(DJ) Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”^(DK)

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan^(DL) ten years,^(DM) Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar,^(DN) and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.^{(DO) 5} Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”^(DP)

⁶ “Your slave is in your hands,^(DQ)” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated^(DR) Hagar; so she fled from her.

⁷ The angel of the Lord^(DS) found Hagar near a spring^(DT) in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.^{(DU) 8} And he said, “Hagar,^(DV) slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”^(DW)

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

⁹ Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” ¹⁰ The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”^(DX)

¹¹ The angel of the Lord^(DY) also said to her:

¹³ She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,^(EF)” for she said, “I have now seen^[j] the One who sees me.”^{(EG) 14} That is why the well^(EH) was called Beer Lahai Roi^[k];^(EI) it is still there, between Kadesh^(EJ) and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar^(EK) bore Abram a son,^(EL) and Abram gave the name Ishmael^(EM) to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old^(EN) when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,^(EO) the Lord appeared to him^(EP) and said, “I am God Almighty^[l];^(EQ) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.^{(ER) 2} Then I will make my covenant between me and you^(ES) and will greatly increase your numbers.”^(ET)

³ Abram fell facedown,^(EU) and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you:^(EV) You will be the father of many nations.^{(EW) 5} No longer will you be called Abram^[m]; your name will be Abraham,^[n](EX) for I have made you a father of many nations.^{(EY) 6} I will make you very fruitful;^(EZ) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.^{(FA) 7} I will establish my covenant^(FB) as an everlasting covenant^(FC) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God^(FD) and the God of your descendants after you.^{(FE) 8} The whole land of Canaan,^(FF) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(FG) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;^(FH) and I will be their God.^(FI)”

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,^(FJ) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.^{(FK) 10} This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.^{(FL) 11} You are to undergo circumcision,^(FM) and it will be the sign of the covenant^(FN) between me and you. ¹² For the generations to come^(FO) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,^(FP) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. ¹³ Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.^(FQ) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.^{(FR) 14} Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised^(FS) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;^(FT) he has broken my covenant.^(FU)”

¹⁵ God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai^(FV) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.^{(FW) 16} I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.^(FX) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;^(FY) kings of peoples will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown;^(FZ) he laughed^(GA) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?^(GB) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”^{(GC) 18} And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael^(GD) might live under your blessing!”^(GE)

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,^(GF) and you will call him Isaac.^[o](GG) I will establish my covenant with him^(GH) as an everlasting covenant^(GI) for his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.^(GJ) He will be the father of twelve rulers,^(GK) and I will make him into a great nation.^{(GL) 21} But my covenant^(GM) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you^(GN) by this time next year.”^{(GO) 22} When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.^(GP)

²³ On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household^(GQ) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.^{(GR) 24} Abraham was ninety-nine years old^(GS) when he was circumcised,^{(GT) 25} and his son Ishmael^(GU) was thirteen; ²⁶ Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. ²⁷ And every male in Abraham’s household^(GV), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.