Genesis 14:17–15:6

MELCHIZEDEK’S BLESSING

¹⁷After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley^z). ¹⁸Melchizedek, king of Salem,^Daa brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.^{ab 19}He blessed him and said:

Abram is blessed by God Most High,

Creator^E of heaven and earth,

²⁰and blessed be God Most High

who has handed over your enemies to you.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.^ac

²¹Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”

²²But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, ²³that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴I will take nothing except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share.”

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

15After these events, the word of the Lord came^a to Abram in a vision:

Do not be afraid,^b Abram.

I am your shield;^c

your reward will be very great.

²But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”^{A 3}Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in^B my house will be my heir.”

⁴Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body^C will be your heir.” ⁵He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”^d

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