Genesis 14

Now it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar,
Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim, that they all made war
Against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah,
Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar (which was then known as Bela).
All the latter joined forces in the limestone valley of Siddim (that’s now the Dead Sea).
For twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year this would not be.
They rebelled, but then in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and kings with him in fights
Struck at the Rephaim at Ashteroth-Karnaim, and at Ham, attacked the Zuzites,
Beat the Emim at Shaveh-Kiriathain, the Horites in their hill-country of Seir
As far as El-Paran, which is out by the wilderness. On their way back, they came near
To En-Mishpat, the Judgement Spring now called Kadesh, and conquered from the Amalekites
All their land, and then also all those settled in Hazazon-Tamar, the Amorites.
Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, king of Admah, king of Zeboiim,
And the king of Bela (now Zoar), went out to fight them in the valley of Siddim;
To fight Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel
The king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar– Four kings against five. The vale
Of Siddim was filled with pits of bitumen. So when Sodom and Gomorrah’s kings fled,
They flung themselves into them. Those that remained fled up into the hill-country instead.

And they took all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all of their provisions too,
And they also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, and his possessions, and withdrew;
For he’d settled in Sodom. But one who escaped brought the news to Abram the Hebrew,
Who dwelt near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner,
They were Abram’s allies. And when Abram heard his kinsman had been taken prisoner,
He took his retainers and his house-born slaves, three hundred eighteen went as far as Dan
In pursuit. And at night, Abram split up his forces against them as his battle plan.
Abram’s servants divided and conquered them, and they drove them to Hobah in pursuit,
To the north of Damascus. And Abram returned with his kinsman Lot, and all his loot.
All the property, and all the women, and all other people, Abram had brought back.
So the king of Sodom had gone out to meet Abram when he returned from his attack
Against Chedorlaomer and the kings with him, to the valley of Shaveh (King’s Valley).
Melchizedek, the king of Salem brought out bread and wine to celebrate Abram’s sally.
And since he was a priest of the highest God, El Elyon, he had blessed Abram by saying,
“Blessed be Abram by El Elyon, founder of heaven and earth, He to whom we are praying.
And blessed be God Most-High, who has kindly delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And then Abram gave him a tenth of everything (which is how tithes came into the land).

Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, take the goods for your own.”
Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand and swear to the Lord, El Elyon,
The creator of heaven and earth, I shall take from you no thread, not one sandal-strap,
Nothing of yours; lest you say, ‘I made Abram rich!’, or some other similar claptrap.

I want nothing for me, only what my servants have used up; and then as for the shares
That belong to the men who went with me- Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre- let them take theirs.”

Comments (1)

louisaJanuary 1st, 2009 at 8:13 pm

So Father Abram had already planted the seed,by giving Tithes.I am blessed.