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5 Lot, who traveled with Abram, also had many flocks and herds and tents. 6 The area where they were was not rich enough for them to dwell together, for they had too many possessions for them to live in the same camp. 7 Because of this a quarrel arose between the herdsmen of Abram and those of Lot. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in that land.)
8 Abram said to Lot, “Let us not have strife between you and me, between my herdsmen and yours, for we are relatives.[a] 9 Does not the entire land lie before you? You should separate from me. If you wish to go to the left, I will go to the right; if you wish to go to the right, I will go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the Jordan Valley was fertile and there was water everywhere. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) It was as beautiful as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, all the way down to Zoar. 11 So Lot chose the Jordan Valley for himself, and he moved his tents to the east. Thus, they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the cities of the valley and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 The inhabitants of Sodom were perverse and committed many sins against the Lord.
14 The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had separated from him saying, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look around to the north and south, to the east and the west. 15 Everything that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth. If one could count all of the dust of the earth, then that person would be able to count all your descendants. 17 Rise and travel throughout the land, for I will give it to you.”
18 Abram moved his camp and dwelt near the Oak of Mamre at Hebron. He built an altar to the Lord there.
Chapter 14
Lot’s Captivity and Rescue.[b] 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.[c] 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,[d] 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,[e] 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.”
Chapter 15
The Covenant Guarantee of the Promise.[f] 1 Some time later the Lord communicated these words to Abram in a vision,
“Do not fear, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward shall be very great.”
2 Abram answered, “My Lord God, what will you give me? I will pass away without children and my heir will be Eliezer of Damascus.” 3 Abram continued, “Behold, you have not given me descendants, and my servant will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came unto him, “He will not be your heir; your own child will be your heir.” 5 Then he led him outside and told him, “Look into the heavens and count the stars, if you can count them. Such,” he continued, “will your descendants be.”
6 Abraham believed the Lord, who credited it to him as righteousness.[g]
7 And he said, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to take possession of this land.”
8 He answered, “O Lord God, how will I know that I am to possess it?”
9 He said, “Take a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
10 He took all these animals and split them in two and placed each half opposite the other (except for the birds). 11 Birds of prey landed upon the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.
12 As the sun was setting, a trance fell upon Abram, and a fearful darkness descended upon him. 13 The Lord said to Abram, “Know that your descendants shall be foreigners in a land that is not their own. They shall be made slaves and oppressed for four hundred years. 14 But I will execute my judgment upon the nation that they will have served. They will leave it with great riches. 15 As for you, you will go in peace to your fathers, and you will be buried at a happy old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to full measure.”
17 When the sun set, it was dark, and a smoking brazier and a flaming torch passed between the carcasses of the animals that had been split in two.[h] 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, “To your descendants I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates, 19 the dwelling place of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
27 Adultery.[a]“You have heard that it was said of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that anyone who looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is preferable for you to lose one of your limbs than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
31 Divorce.“It has also been said: ‘Whoever divorces his wife shall give her a certificate of dismissal.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except if the marriage was unlawful, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 Oaths.[b]“Again, you have heard that our ancestors were told: ‘Do not swear falsely, but fulfill the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, 35 or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. 36 Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot turn one hair of it white or black. 37 All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 Retaliation.[c]“You have heard that it was said: ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you: Offer no resistance to someone who is wicked. If someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek as well. 40 If anyone wishes to sue you to gain possession of your tunic, give him your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him for a second mile. 42 Give to anyone who begs from you, and do not turn your back on anyone who wishes to borrow from you.
43 Love for Enemies.[d]“You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 45 This will make you children of your heavenly Father. For he causes his sun to rise on evil people as well as on those who are good, and his rain falls on both the righteous and the wicked. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward will you receive? Do not even tax collectors[e] do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brethren, what about that is so extraordinary? Even the pagans do as much.
48 Perfection.[f]“Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Psalm 6[a]
Evening Prayer for God’s Mercy
1 For the director.[b] With stringed instruments. “Upon the eighth.” A psalm of David.
2 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or punish me in your wrath.
3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am tottering;
help me, O Lord, for my body is in agony.[c]
4 My soul[d] is also filled with anguish.
But you, O Lord—how long?
5 Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul;
save me because of your kindness.[e]
6 For among the dead who remembers you?
In the netherworld who sings your praises?[f]
7 I am exhausted from my sighing;
every night I flood my bed with my tears,
and I soak my couch with my weeping.
8 My eyes grow dim because of my grief;
they are worn out[g] because of all my foes.
9 Depart from me, all you evildoers,[h]
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
10 The Lord has listened to my pleas;
the Lord has accepted my prayer.
11 All my enemies will be shamed and terrified;
they will flee in utter confusion.[i]
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.[a]
30 They refused to accept my advice
and spurned all my warnings.
31 “Now they must eat the fruits of their conduct
and be glutted with the results of their schemes.[b]
32 For the stubbornness of the simple kills them;
fools come to final ruin by their own complacency.
33 But whoever listens to me will be secure
and live in peace, without fear of disaster.”
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