Genesis 14
14
1-2Then this: Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim went off to war to fight Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.
3-4This second group of kings, the attacked, came together at the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea. They had been under the thumb of Kedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, they revolted.
5-7In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him set out and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El Paran on the far edge of the desert. On their way back they stopped at En Mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and conquered the whole region of the Amalekites as well as that of the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.
8-9That’s when the king of Sodom marched out with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. They drew up in battle formation against their enemies in the Valley of Siddim—against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.
10-12The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram’s nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.
13-16A fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living at the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he lined up his servants, all of them born in his household—there were 318 of them—and chased after the captors all the way to Dan. Abram and his men split into small groups and attacked by night. They chased them as far as Hobah, just north of Damascus. They recovered all the plunder along with nephew Lot and his possessions, including the women and the people.
17-20After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King’s Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:
Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.
Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me back the people but keep all the plunder for yourself.”
22-24But Abram told the king of Sodom, “I swear to God, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I’ll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I’m not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.’ Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they’re to get their share of the plunder.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Genesis 14
14
Genesis 14
1¶ And it came to pass in those days that Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of the Gentiles
2made war against Bera king of Sodom and against Birsha king of Gomorrah and against Shinab king of Admah and against Shemeber king of Zeboiim and against the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
4Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim and the Zuzims in Ham and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim
6and the Horites in their Mount Seir unto the plain of Paran, which is by the wilderness.
7And they returned and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the works of the Amalekites and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
8And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out, and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim,
9that is, against Chedorlaomer the king of Elam and Tidal king of the Gentiles and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar: four kings against five.
10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there; and those that remained fled to the mountain.
11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went away.
12And they also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods and departed.
13¶ And one came that had escaped and told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt among the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.
14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his tried and experienced servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15And he and his slaves poured themselves out against them by night and smote them and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16And he recovered 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 valley of the king.
18Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of the heavens and of the earth;
20and blessed be the most high God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And Abram gave him tithes of all.
21¶ Then the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of the heavens and of the earth,
23that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet; I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou should say, I have made Abram rich,
24except only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who shall take their portion.
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International