Genesis 14:17–15:6

¹⁷And the king of Sodom ^zwent out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the ^aKing’s Valley), ^bafter his return from ⁵the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.

Abram and Melchizedek

¹⁸Then ^cMelchizedek king of Salem brought out ^dbread and wine; he was ^ethe priest of ^fGod Most High. ¹⁹And he blessed him and said:

^g“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,

^hPossessor of heaven and earth;

²⁰And ⁱblessed be God Most High,

Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And he ^jgave him ⁶a tithe of all.

²¹Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the ⁷persons, and take the goods for yourself.”

²²But Abram ^ksaid to the king of Sodom, “I ^lhave raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, ^mthe Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³that ⁿI will take nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’—²⁴except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.”

God’s Covenant with Abram

15After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram ^ain a vision, saying, ^b“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your ^cshield, ¹your exceedingly ^dgreat reward.”

^2eBut Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, ^fseeing I ²go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed ^gone ³born in my house is my heir!”

⁴And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who ^hwill come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and ⁱcount the ^jstars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, ^k“So shall your ^ldescendants be.”

⁶And he ^mbelieved in the Lord, and He ⁿaccounted it to him for righteousness.