Abraham: The Covenant

And one who is escaping cometh and declareth to Abram the Hebrew, and he is dwelling among the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner, and they are Abram's allies.

And Abram heareth that his brother hath been taken captive, and he draweth out his trained domestics, three hundred and eighteen, and pursueth unto Dan.

And he divideth himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smiteth them, and pursueth them unto Hobah, which is at the left of Damascus;

and he bringeth back the whole of the substance, and also Lot his brother and his substance hath he brought back, and also the women and the people.

And the king of Sodom goeth out to meet him (after his turning back from the smiting of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who are with him), unto the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.

And Melchizedek king of Salem hath brought out bread and wine, and he is priest of God Most High;

and he blesseth him, and saith, `Blessed is Abram to God Most High, possessing heaven and earth;

and blessed is God Most High, who hath delivered thine adversaries into thy hand;' and he giveth to him a tenth of all.

And the king of Sodom saith unto Abram, `Give to me the persons, and the substance take to thyself,'

and Abram saith unto the king of Sodom, `I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessing heaven and earth--

from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I--I have made Abram rich;

save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who have gone with me--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre--they take their portion.'

After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, `Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to thee, thy reward is exceeding great.'

And Abram saith, `Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'

And Abram saith, `Lo, to me Thou hast not given seed, and lo, a domestic doth heir me.'

And lo, the word of Jehovah is unto him, saying, `This one doth not heir thee; but he who cometh out from thy bowels, he doth heir thee;'

and He bringeth him out without, and saith, `Look attentively, I pray thee, towards the heavens, and count the stars, if thou art able to count them;' and He saith to him, `Thus is thy seed.'

And he hath believed in Jehovah, and He reckoneth it to him--righteousness.

And He saith unto him, `I am Jehovah who brought thee out from Ur of the Chaldees, to give to thee this land to possess it;'

and he saith, `Lord Jehovah, whereby do I know that I possess it?'

And He saith unto him, `Take for Me a heifer of three years, and a she-goat of three years, and a ram of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a young bird;'

and he taketh to him all these, and separateth them in the midst, and putteth each piece over against its fellow, but the bird he hath not divided;

and the ravenous birds come down upon the carcases, and Abram causeth them to turn back.

And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a terror of great darkness is falling upon him;

and He saith to Abram, `knowing--know that thy seed is a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they have served them, and they have afflicted them four hundred years,