Abraham: The Covenant

Someone who had escaped came and told Avram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and brother of 'Aner; all of them allies of Avram.

When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, who had been born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

During the night he and his servants divided his forces against them, then attacked and pursued them all the way to Hovah, north of Dammesek.

He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot with his goods, together with the women and the other people.

After his return from slaughtering K'dorla'omer and the kings with him, the king of S'dom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley, also known as the King's Valley.

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.

The king of S'dom said to Avram, "Give me the people, and keep the goods for yourself."

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,

that I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal thong of anything that is yours; so that you won't be able to say, 'I made Avram rich.'

I will take only what my troops have eaten and the share of the spoil belonging to the men who came with me -'Aner, Eshkol and Mamre; let them have their share."

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.

Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Avram drove them away.

As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell on Avram; horror and great darkness came over him.

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.