Genesis 14:11–23

¹¹The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. ¹²They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, ^gand they went on.

¹³One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, ^hwho lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with ⁱAbram. ¹⁴When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled ^jhis 318 trained men, born in his household, ^kand they went in pursuit as far as Dan. ^l15And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. ¹⁶He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

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 Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley ^m). ¹⁸Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, ^nobrought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. ^p19He blessed him and said:

Abram is blessed by God Most High,

Creator ^qof heaven and earth,

²⁰and I give praise to ^rGod Most High

who has handed over your enemies to you.

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ^s

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 Yahweh, 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.’