Through the Bible – Day 5

₁About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim ₂attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, also known as the city of Zoar. _3-4King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and came together in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea.

₅A year later King Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, and the Emites in Shaveh-Kiriathaim. ₆They also defeated the Horites in the hill country of Edom, as far as El-Paran, near the desert.

₇They went back to the city of Enmishpat, better known as Kadesh. Then they captured all the land that belonged to the Amalekites, and they defeated the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar.

_8-9At Siddim Valley, the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela fought the armies of King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar. The valley ₁₀was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country. ₁₁Their enemies took everything of value from Sodom and Gomorrah, including their food supplies. ₁₂They also captured Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom. They took him and his possessions and then left.

₁₃At this time Abram the Hebrew was living near the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's friends. Someone who had escaped from the battle told Abram ₁₄that his nephew Lot had been taken away. Three hundred and eighteen of Abram's servants were fighting men, so he took them and followed the enemy as far north as the city of Dan.

₁₅That night, Abram divided up his troops, attacked from all sides, and won a great victory. But some of the enemy escaped to the town of Hobah north of Damascus, ₁₆and Abram went after them. He brought back his nephew Lot, together with Lot's possessions and the women and everyone else who had been captured.

₁₇Abram returned after he had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other kings. Then the king of Sodom went to meet Abram in Shaveh Valley, which is also known as King's Valley.

₁₈King Melchizedek of Salem was a priest of God Most High. He brought out some bread and wine ₁₉and said to Abram:

₂₁The king of Sodom said to Abram, “All I want are my people. You can keep everything else.”

₂₂Abram answered:

₁Later the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don't be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.”

₂But Abram answered, “LORD All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own. ₃You have not given me any children, and this servant of mine will inherit everything.”

₄The LORD replied, “No, he won't! You will have a son of your own, and everything you have will be his.” ₅Then the LORD took Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That's how many descendants you will have.” ₆Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD was pleased with him.

₇The LORD said to Abram, “I brought you here from Ur in Chaldea, and I gave you this land.”

₈Abram asked, “LORD God, how can I know the land will be mine?”

₉Then the LORD told him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.”

₁₀Abram obeyed the LORD. Then he cut the animals in half and laid the two halves of each animal opposite each other on the ground. But he did not cut the doves and pigeons in half. ₁₁And when birds came down to eat the animals, Abram chased them away.

₁₂As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening. _13-15Then the LORD said:

₁₇Some time after sunset, when it was very dark, a smoking cooking pot and a flaming fire went between the two halves of each animal. ₁₈At that time the LORD made an agreement with Abram and told him:

₁Abram's wife Sarai had not been able to have any children. But she owned a young Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, ₂and Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine.” Abram agreed, ₃and Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years. ₄Later, when Hagar knew she was going to have a baby, she became proud and was hateful to Sarai.

₅Then Sarai said to Abram, “It's all your fault! I gave you my slave woman, but she has been hateful to me ever since she found out she was pregnant. You have done me wrong, and you will have to answer to the LORD for this.”

₆Abram said, “All right! She's your slave, and you can do whatever you want with her.” But Sarai began treating Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

₇Hagar stopped to rest at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. While she was there, the angel of the LORD came to her ₈and asked, “Hagar, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

She answered, “I'm running away from Sarai, my owner.”

₉The angel said, “Go back to Sarai and be her slave. _10-11I will give you a son, who will be called Ishmael, because I have heard your cry for help. And later I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all. ₁₂But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him.”

₁₃Hagar thought, “Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?” So from then on she called him, “The God who Sees Me”. ₁₄That's why people call the well between Kadesh and Bered, “The Well of the Living One who Sees Me”.

_15-16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.

₁Abram was ninety-nine years old when the LORD appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, ₂I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” ₃Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:

₁₇Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, “I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?” So he started laughing. ₁₈Then he asked God, “Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me?”

₁₉But God answered:

₂₂God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.

_23-27On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was ninety-nine years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

₁When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.

Jesus' disciples gathered around him, ₂and he taught them: