أبرام ينقذ لوطا
1 كانَ في أيّامِ أمرافَلَ مَلِكِ شِنْعارَ، وأريوكَ مَلِكِ الآسارَ، وكَدرْلعومرَ مَلِكِ عيلامَ، وتدعالَ مَلِكِ جويـيمَ، 2 أنَّهم حارَبوا بارَعَ مَلِكَ سدومَ، وبرشاعَ مَلِكَ عَمورةَ، وشَِنآبَ مَلِكَ أدمةَ، وشمئيـبرَ مَلِكَ صَبُويـيمَ، ومَلِكَ بالَعَ وهيَ صوغَرُ. 3 هؤلاءِ جميعا حشَدوا رِجالَهُم في وادي السِّدِّيمِ وهوَ البحرُ المَيْتُ. 4 كانوا خاضِعينَ لِكَدَرْلعَومَرَ اثـنتي عَشْرَةَ سنَةً، وفي السَّنةِ الثَّالثةَ عَشْرةَ ثاروا علَيهِ. 5 وفي السَّنةِ الرَّابعةَ عشْرَةَ جاءَ كَدرْلَعَومَرُ والملوكُ حُلفاؤُهُ، فأخضَعوا الرَّفَائيِّينَ في عَشتَاروتَ قَرنايمَ، والزُّوزيِّينَ في هَامَ، والإيميِّين في شَوَى قِريتايِم، 6 والحوريِّينَ في جبَلِهم سَعيرَ حتى سَهلِ فارانَ على حُدودِ الصَّحراءِ. 7 ثُمَّ رَجَعوا وجاؤوا إلى عينِ مِشفاطَ وهيَ قادشُ، فَأخضَعوا أرضَ العمالِقَةِ كُلَّها والأموريِّينَ المُقيمينَ في حَصُّونِ تامارَ. 8 فخرَجَ مُلوكُ سدومَ وعَمورةَ وأدمةَ وصبوئيمَ وبالَعَ، وهيَ صوغرُ واصْطفُّوا للقتالِ في وادي السِّدِّيمِ 9 معَ كدَرْلَعَومَرَ مَلِكِ عيلامَ، وتدِعالَ مَلِكِ جُويـيمَ، وأمرافَلَ ملكِ شِنْعارَ، وأريوكَ مَلِكِ الآسارَ، وهُم أربعةُ مُلوكٍ مُقابلَ الخَمْسةِ. 10 وكانَ في وادي السِّدِّيمِ آبارٌ كثيرةٌ مِنَ القارِ، فلمَّا هرَبَ مَلِكا سدومَ وعَمورةَ سقطا فيها، والباقُونَ هربوا إلى الجبَلِ. 11 فأخذَ الغُزاةُ جميعَ ثروةِ أهلِ سدومَ وعَمورةَ ومُؤونَتَهُم ومَضَوا. 12 وأخَذوا أيضا لُوطا، ابنَ أخي إبراهيمَ، وثَروَتَه ومَضَوا، وكانَ لُوطٌَ مُقيما بِمدينةِ سدومَ. 13 فجاءَ أَحدُ النَّاجينَ وأخبرَ أبرامَ العِبرانيَّ وهوَ مُقيمٌ عِندَ بَلُّوطِ مَمْرا الأموريِّ، أخي أشكولَ وعانِرَ، وهُم حُلفاءُ أبرامَ. 14 فلمَّا سَمِعَ أبرامُ أنَّ ابنَ أخيهِ في الأسْرِ. جمَعَ مَواليَهُ المولودينَ في بَيتهِ، وعَدَدُهُم ثلاثُ مئةٍ وثمانيةَ عشَرَ، وتَبِــعَهُم شمالا إلى دَانَ. 15 وهُناكَ أطبقَ علَيهِم في اللَّيلِ مِنْ كُلِّ جانبٍ هوَ ورجالُه، فهَزَمَهُم وتَبعَهُم إلى حُوبَةَ شَماليَّ دِمَشْقَ. 16 فاسترَدَّ جميعَ الثَّروةِ، ولُوطا ابنَ أخيهِ وثَروَتَه، والنِّساءَ وسائِرَ القَومِ.
ملكيصادق
17 وعِندَ رُجوعِ أبرامَ مُنتَصِرا على كَدَرلَعَومَرَ والمُلوكِ الّذينَ حاربوا معَهُ، خرَجَ مَلِكُ سدومَ للقائهِ في وادي شَوَى، وهوَ وادي المَلِكِ. 18 وأخرَجَ مَلكيصادِقُ، مَلِكُ شاليمَ، خُبزا وخمرا، وكانَ كاهنا للهِ العليِّ. 19 فبارَكَ أبرامَ بِقولِهِ:
«مُبارَكٌ أبرامُ مِنَ اللهِ العليِّ،
خالِقِ السَّماواتِ والأرضِ
20 وتباركَ الله العليُّ
الّذي أسلَمَ أعداءَكَ إلى يَدِكَ!»
فأعطاهُ أبرامُ العُشْرَ مِنْ كُلِّ شيءٍ.
21 وقالَ مَلِكُ سدومَ لأبرامَ: «أعطِني القَومَ، وُخذِ الثَّروةَ لكَ». 22 فقالَ أبرامُ لِملِكِ سدومَ: «أرفَعُ يَدي وأحلِفُ بِالرّبِّ الإلهِ العليِّ، خالقِ السَّماواتِ والأرضِ 23 أنْ لا آخُذَ خيطا ولا رِباطَ نَعلٍ مِنْ جميعِ ما لكَ لِئلاَّ تقولَ: أنا أغنيتُ أبرامَ، 24 ما عدا ما أكَلَهُ الفِتيانُ، ونصيـبَ الرِّجالِ الّذينَ ساروا مَعي، وهُم عانِرُ وأشكولُ ومَمْرا، فهؤلاءِ يأخذونَ نصيـبَهُم».
Abram Rescues Lot
1 About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, a city also known as Zoar. 3-4 King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea.
5 A year later King Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-Kiriathaim. 6 They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Edom, as far as El-Paran, near the desert.
7 They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.
8-9 At Siddim Valley, the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela fought the armies of King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. The valley 10 was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country. 11 Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies. 12 They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.
13 At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abram 14 that his nephew Lot had been taken away. Three hundred and eighteen of Abram's servants were fighting men, so he took them and followed the enemy as far north as the city of Dan.
15 That night, Abram divided up his troops, attacked from all sides, and won a great victory. But some of the enemy escaped to the town of Hobah north of Damascus, 16 and Abram went after them. He brought back his nephew Lot, together with Lot's possessions and the women and everyone else who had been captured.
Abram Is Blessed by Melchizedek
17 Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.
18 King Melchizedek of Salem was a priest of God Most High. He brought out some bread and wine 19 and said to Abram:
“I bless you in the name
of God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 All praise belongs
to God Most High
for helping you defeat
your enemies.”
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “All I want are my people. You can keep everything else.”
22 Abram answered:
The Lord God Most High made the heavens and the earth. And I have promised him 23 that I won't keep anything of yours, not even a sandal strap or a piece of thread. Then you can never say that you are the one who made me rich. 24 Let my share be the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me, so give them their share of what we brought back.
