Abraham: The Covenant

But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.

And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.

Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,

for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.

I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”

So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.

Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Valley of Siddim

against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.

The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way.

They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom.