Genesis 14:12-15:21

New International Version

¹² They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot^(A) and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.^(B) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre^(C) the Amorite, a brother^[a] of Eshkol^(D) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative^(E) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained^(F) men born in his household^(G) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.^{(H) 15} During the night Abram divided his men^(I) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.^{(J) 16} He recovered^(K) all the goods^(L) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

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

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek^(P) king of Salem^(Q) brought out bread^(R) and wine.^(S) He was priest of God Most High,^{(T) 19} and he blessed Abram,^(U) saying,

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

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

²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom,^(AB) “With raised hand^(AC) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,^(AD) Creator of heaven and earth,^{(AE) 23} that I will accept nothing belonging to you,^(AF) 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.^(AG) Let them have their share.”

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

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

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(AM) what can you give me since I remain childless^(AN) and the one who will inherit^[d] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?^(AO)” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant^(AP) in my household^(AQ) 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.^(AR)” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(AS)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[e] be.”^(AT)

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

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

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(AY) how can I know^(AZ) that I will gain possession of it?”^(BA)

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

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

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

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(BR) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(BS) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(BT) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(BU) from the Wadi^[f] of Egypt^(BV) to the great river, the Euphrates^(BW)— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites,^(BX) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,^(BY) Perizzites,^(BZ) Rephaites,^{(CA) 21} Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”^(CB)