Self-interpreting Bible

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Genesis 14

1The battle of four kings against five. 12Lot is taken prisoner. 14Abram rescueth Lot, 17is met by the king of Sodom, and blessed by Melchizedek, to whom he giveth tithe. 21He restoreth the rest of the spoil to the king of Sodom, except the portion of his confederates.


1 AND it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of aShinar, Arioch king of bEllasar, Chedorlaomer king of cElam, and Tidal king of nations;

2 That these made war with Bera king of dSodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is eZoar.

3 All these were joined together in the fvale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

4 Twelve years they gserved Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the hRephaims in iAshteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the jEmims in 1Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6 And the kHorites in their mount Seir, unto 2El-paran, which is by the wilderness.

7 And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is lKadesh, and smote all the country of the mAmalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in nHazezon-tamar.

8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the osame is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them pin the vale of Siddim;

9 With qChedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.

10 And the vale of Siddim was full of rslimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and sfell there; and they that remained fled tto the mountain.

11 And they took uall the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all vtheir *victuals, and went their way.

12 And they took wLot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13 ¶And there came one that had xescaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for yhe dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and zthese were confederate with Abram.

14 And when Abram heard that his abrother was taken captive, he 3armed his 4trained servants, bborn in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto cDan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the dleft hand of Damascus.

16 And he ebrought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 ¶And the fking of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the gking's dale.

18 And hMelchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of ithe most high God.

19 And he jblessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, kpossessor of heaven and earth:

20 And lblessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him mtithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the 5persons, and take the goods to thyself.

  • 5: Heb. souls.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I nhave lift up mine hand unto the LORD, othe most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That pI will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24 *Save qonly that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men rwhich went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.