God

But Adonai inflicted great plagues on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai Avram’s wife.

where he had first built the altar; and there Avram called on the name of ADONAI.

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before ADONAI destroyed S'dom and 'Amora, like the garden of ADONAI, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo'ar.

Now the men of S'dom were evil, committing great sins against ADONAI.

ADONAI said to Avram, after Lot had moved away from him, "Look all around you from where you are, to the north, the south, the east and the west.

All the land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever,

and I will make your descendants as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth - so that if a person can count the specks of dust on the earth, then your descendants can be counted.

Get up and walk through the length and breadth of the land, because I will give it to you."

Avram moved his tent and came to live by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hevron. There he built an altar to ADONAI.

Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen of El 'Elyon [God Most High],

so he blessed him with these words: "Blessed be Avram by El 'Elyon, maker of heaven of earth.

and blessed be El 'Elyon, who handed your enemies over to you." Avram gave him a tenth of everything.

But Avram answered the king of S'dom, "I have raised my hand in an oath to ADONAI, El 'Elyon, maker of heaven and earth,

Some time later the word of ADONAI came to Avram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Avram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great."

Avram replied, "ADONAI, God, what good will your gifts be to me if I continue childless; and Eli'ezer from Dammesek inherits my possessions?

You haven't given me a child," Avram continued, "so someone born in my house will be my heir."

But the word of ADONAI came to him: "This man will not be your heir. No, your heir will be a child from your own body."

Then he brought him outside and said, "Look up at the sky, and count the stars - if you can count them! Your descendants will be that many!"

He believed in ADONAI, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, "I am ADONAI, who brought you out from Ur-Kasdim to give you this land as your possession."

He replied, "ADONAI, God, how am I to know that I will possess it?"

He answered 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."

He brought him all these, cut the animals in two and placed the pieces opposite each other; but he didn't cut the birds in half.

ADONAI said to Avram, "Know this for certain: your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will be slaves and held in oppression there four hundred years.

But I will also judge that nation, the one that makes them slaves. Afterwards, they will leave with many possessions.