In the days of the Eastern kings Amraphel of ^aShinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of ^bElam, and Tidal of Goiim, 2 they invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of ^aAdmah, Shemeber king of ^bZeboiim, and the king of Bela (¹that is, ^cZoar). 3 All of these kings joined together as allies in ^athe Valley of Siddim (that is, ^bthe Sea of Salt). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer the most powerful king in the invading confederacy, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the three kings who were with him attacked and subdued the ^aRephaim in ^bAshteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in ^cShaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the ^aHorites in their mountainous country of Seir, as far as ^bEl-paran, which is on the border of the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, ^aKadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in ^bHazazon-tamar. 8 Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they joined together for battle with the invading kings in ^athe Valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar (bitumen) pits; and as ^athe kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them. But the remainder of the kings who survived fled to the ^bhill country. 11 Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left. 12 And they also took captive Lot, ^aAbram’s nephew, and his possessions and left, for ^bhe was living in Sodom.

13 Then a survivor who had escaped from the invading forces on the other side of the Jordan came and told Abram the ^1aHebrew. Now he was living by the ^bterebinths (oaks) of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner—they were ^callies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that ^ahis nephew Lot had been captured, he armed and led out his trained men, ^bborn in his own house, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far north as ^cDan. 15 ^aHe divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of ^bDamascus. 16 And he ^abrought back all the goods, and also brought back ^bhis nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

17 Then after Abram’s return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, ^athe king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, ^bthe King’s Valley). 18 ^1aMelchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out ^bbread and wine for them; he was the ^cpriest of ²God Most High. 19 And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said,“Blessed (joyful, favored) be Abram by God Most High,^aCreator and Possessor of heaven and earth;

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods (spoils of battle) for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand and sworn an oath to the LORD ^aGod Most High, the ^bCreator and Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that ^aI would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, so you could not say, ‘I the King of Sodom have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing except what my young men have eaten, and the share of the spoils belonging to the men my allies who went with me—^aAner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share of the spoils.”