rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. look from the place where thou art, And he went on his journeys from the northward and southward and eastSouth even to Beth-el, unto the place ward and westward; "for all the land where his tent had been at the begin- which thou seest, to thee will I give ning, between Beth-el and Ai; unto it, and to thy seed for ever. And I the place of the altar, which he had will make thy seed as the dust of the made there at the first; and Abram earth; so that if a man can number called there on the name of the the dust of the earth, then shall thy LORD. "And Lot also, who went with seed also be numbered. "Arise, walk Abram, had flocks, and herds, and through the land in the length of it tents. And the land was not able and in the breadth of it; for unto thee to bear them, that they might dwell will I give it.' 18And Abram moved together; for their substance was his tent, and came and dwelt by the great, so that they could not dwell terebinths of Mamre, which are in together. "And there was a strife Hebron, and built there an altar unto between the herdmen of Abram's the LORD.

cattle and the herdmen of Lot's 14 And it came to pass in the

cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot: 'Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left.' 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like he garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar. So Lot chose him all the plain of the ordan; and Lot journeyed east; and hey separated themselves the one rom the other. 12Abram dwelt in he land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt the cities of the Plain, and moved is tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the en of Sodom were wicked and siners against the LORD exceedingly. And the LORD said unto Abram, ter that Lot was separated from m: Lift up now thine eyes, and

days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela-the same is Zoar. All these came as allies unto the vale of Siddim-the same is the Salt Sea. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. "And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashterothkarnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, "and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 'And they turned back, and came to En-mishpat-the same is Kadeshand smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela-the same is Zoar; and they set the battle in array against

And

Abram said to the king of Sodom:
'I have lifted up my hand unto the
LORD, God Most High, Maker of
heaven and earth, that I will not
take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor
aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest
say: I have made Abram rich;
save only that which the young men
have eaten, and the portion of the
men which went with me, Aner,
Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take
their portion.'

15 After these things the word of

the LORD came unto Abram in

them in the vale of Siddim; against all. "And the king of Sodom said Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and unto Abram: 'Give me the persons, Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel and take the goods to thyself." king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five. 10Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. "And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the a vision, saying: 'Fear not, Abram, I Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and am thy shield, thy reward shall be brother of Aner; and these were con- exceeding great.' And Abram said: federate with Abram. "And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. 15 And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. 17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh-the same is the King's Vale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High. 19And he blessed him, and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; 20and blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.' And he gave him a tenth of

'O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?' And Abram said: 'Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed, and, lo, one born in my house is to be mine heir.' 'And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying: "This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.' And He brought him forth abroad, and said: 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.' And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness. 'And He said unto him: 'I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.' And he said: 'O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?' And He said unto him: 'Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and

voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. "And Sarai said unto Abram: 'My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.' "But Abram said unto Sarai: 'Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine eyes.' And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said: 'Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? and

a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.' 10And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other; but the birds divided he not. "And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12And it came to pass, that, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a dread, even a great darkness, fell upon him. 13And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.' 17And it came to pass, that, when the sun whither goest thou?' And she said: went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. 18In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates; 19the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite." 16 Now Sarai Abram's wife bore

'I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.' And the angel of the LORD said unto her: 'Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.' 10And the angel of the LORD said unto her: 'I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.' "And the angel of the LORD said unto her: 'Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name "Ishmael, because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12And he shall be a wild ass

of a man: his hand shall be against him no children; and she had a every man, and every man's hand handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name against him; and he shall dwell in was Hagar. And Sarai said unto the face of all his brethren.' 13 And Abram: 'Behold now, the LORD hath she called the name of the LORD that restrained me from bearing; go in, I spoke unto her, Thou art a God of pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may seeing; for she said: 'Have I even be that I shall be builded up through here seen Him that seeth me?' 14Whereher.' And Abram hearkened to the fore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; That is, God heareth. b Heb. El roi. That is, The well of the Living One who seeth me.

be circumcised among you, every male

behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15And Hagar bore Abram a throughout your generations, he that son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. "And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.'

15 And God said unto Abraham:

17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou whole-hearted. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.' And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, say-'As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not ing: "As for Me, behold, My covenant call her name Sarai, but 'Sarah shall is with thee, and thou shalt be the her name be. 16And I will bless her, father of a multitude of nations. and moreover I will give thee a son "Neither shall thy name any more be of her; yea, I will bless her, and she called Abram, but thy name shall be shall be a mother of nations; kings of Abraham; for the father of a multitude peoples shall be of her.' 17Then of nations have I made thee. And I Abraham fell upon his face, and will make thee exceeding fruitful, and laughed, and said in his heart: 'Shall I will make nations of thee, and kings a child be born unto him that is a shall come out of thee. 'And I will hundred years old? and shall Sarah, establish My covenant between Me that is ninety years old, bear?' 18And and thee and thy seed after thee Abraham said unto God: 'Oh that throughout their generations for an Ishmael might live before Thee!' everlasting covenant, to be a God unto 19And God said: 'Nay, but Sarah thy thee and to thy seed after thee. And wife shall bear thee a son; and thou I will give unto thee, and to thy seed shalt call his name Isaac; and I will after thee, the land of thy sojournings, establish My covenant with him for all the land of Canaan, for an ever- an everlasting covenant for his seed lasting possession; and I will be their after him. 20And as for Ishmael, I God.' And God said unto Abraham: have heard thee; behold, I have 'And as for thee, thou shalt keep My blessed him, and will make him fruitcovenant, thou, and thy seed after ful, and will multiply him exceedingly; thee throughout their generations. twelve princes shall he beget, and I 10This is My covenant, which ye shall will make him a great nation. "But keep, between Me and you and thy My covenant will I establish with seed after thee: every male among Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto you shall be circumcised. "And ye thee at this set time in the next year.' shall be circumcised in the flesh of 22And He left off talking with him, and your foreskin; and it shall be a token God went up from Abraham. 23And of a covenant betwixt Me and you. Abraham took Ishmael his son, and And he that is eight days old shall all that were born in his house, and Heb. Ab hamon. b That is, Princess. • From the Heb. root meaning to laugh.