בראשית 14
| ויהי בימי אמרפל מלך שנער אריוך מלך אלסר כדרלעמר מלך עילם ותדעל מלך גוים | 1 |
In a region to the east, there were four kings [who were friends/allies]. They were King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim.
| עשו מלחמה את ברע מלך סדם ואת ברשע מלך עמרה שנאב מלך אדמה ושמאבר מלך צביים ומלך בלע היא צער | 2 |
In an area to the west, there were five other kings. They were King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, the city that is now called Zoar.
| כל אלה חברו אל עמק השדים הוא ים המלח | 3 |
Those five kings and their armies gathered together in Siddim Valley, which is also called the Dead Sea [Valley], to fight against the four kings and their armies. King Chedorlaomer and his army [conquered the armies of those five kings, and demanded that those kings pay him tribute money each year].
| שתים עשרה שנה עבדו את כדרלעמר ושלש עשרה שנה מרדו | 4 |
For twelve years he ruled them. But during the thirteenth year they rebelled [and refused to keep giving him tribute money].
| ובארבע עשרה שנה בא כדרלעמר והמלכים אשר אתו ויכו את רפאים בעשתרת קרנים ואת הזוזים בהם ואת האימים בשוה קריתים | 5 |
The next year, King Chedorlaomer and the other kings that were his allies took their armies and defeated the Repha people-group in Ashteroth-Karnaim and the Zuz people-group in Ham, and the Emi people-group in Shaveh-Kiriathaim.
| ואת החרי בהררם שעיר עד איל פארן אשר על המדבר | 6 |
They also defeated the Hor people-group in the hilly area of Seir as far as El-Paran near the desert.
| וישבו ויבאו אל עין משפט הוא קדש ויכו את כל שדה העמלקי--וגם את האמרי הישב בחצצן תמר | 7 |
Then they turned back and went to Mishpat [city], which is now called Kadesh. They conquered all the land belonging to the Amalek people-group and the Amor people-group who were living in Hazazon-Tamar [town].
| ויצא מלך סדם ומלך עמרה ומלך אדמה ומלך צביים ומלך בלע הוא צער ויערכו אתם מלחמה בעמק השדים | 8 |
Then the armies of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela marched out to fight the armies of the other four kings in Siddim Valley. That valley is close to the Salt/Dead Sea.
| את כדרלעמר מלך עילם ותדעל מלך גוים ואמרפל מלך שנער ואריוך מלך אלסר--ארבעה מלכים את החמשה | 9 |
They fought against the armies of Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal the king of Goiim, Amraphel the king of Shinar, and Arioch the king of Ellasar. The armies of four kings were fighting against the armies of five kings.
| ועמק השדים בארת בארת חמר וינסו מלך סדם ועמרה ויפלו שמה והנשארים הרה נסו | 10 |
The Siddim Valley was full of tar pits. So when the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away, many of the men fell into the tar pits. The others escaped and ran away to the hills.
| ויקחו את כל רכש סדם ועמרה ואת כל אכלם--וילכו | 11 |
As [the armies of the five kings] fled, [the armies of the four kings] seized all of the valuable things in Sodom and Gomorrah, including all the food.
| ויקחו את לוט ואת רכשו בן אחי אברם וילכו והוא ישב בסדם | 12 |
They also captured Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom at that time.
| ויבא הפליט ויגד לאברם העברי והוא שכן באלני ממרא האמרי אחי אשכל ואחי ענר והם בעלי ברית אברם | 13 |
Abram was living near the big trees near Mamre, who belonged to the Amor people-group. Abram had made an agreement with Mamre and his two brothers, Eshcol and Aner, [that they would help each other if there was a war].
| וישמע אברם כי נשבה אחיו וירק את חניכיו ילידי ביתו שמנה עשר ושלש מאות וירדף עד דן | 14 |
One of the men who escaped from the battle told Abram what had happened and that his nephew Lot had been captured and taken away. So Abram summoned 318 men who were his servants, men who had been with Abram since they were born. They all went together and pursued their enemies as far north as Dan [city].
| ויחלק עליהם לילה הוא ועבדיו ויכם וירדפם עד חובה אשר משמאל לדמשק | 15 |
During the night, Abram divided the men into several groups, and they attacked their enemies from various directions and defeated them. They pursued them as far as Hobah, which was north of Damascus [city].
| וישב את כל הרכש וגם את לוט אחיו ורכשו השיב וגם את הנשים ואת העם | 16 |
Abram’s men recovered all of the goods that had been taken. They also rescued Lot and all his possessions and also the women and others who had been captured by their enemies.
| ויצא מלך סדם לקראתו אחרי שובו מהכות את כדרלעמר ואת המלכים אשר אתו--אל עמק שוה הוא עמק המלך | 17 |
As Abram was returning home after he and his men had defeated the armies of King Chedorlaomer and the other kings who had fought alongside him, the king of Sodom went north to meet him in Shaveh Valley, which people call the King’s Valley.
| ומלכי צדק מלך שלם הוציא לחם ויין והוא כהן לאל עליון | 18 |
The king of Salem [city], whose name was Melchizedek, was also a priest who offered sacrifices to the Supreme God. He brought some bread and wine to Abram.
| ויברכהו ויאמר ברוך אברם לאל עליון קנה שמים וארץ | 19 |
Then he blessed Abram, saying “I ask the Supreme God, the one who created heaven and earth, to bless you.
| וברוך אל עליון אשר מגן צריך בידך ויתן לו מעשר מכל | 20 |
The Supreme God has enabled you to defeat [MTY] your enemies, so we should praise/thank him.” Then Abram gave to Melchizedek a tenth part of all the things he had captured.
| ויאמר מלך סדם אל אברם תן לי הנפש והרכש קח לך | 21 |
The king of Sodom said to Abram, “You can keep all the goods you recovered. Just let me take back the people from my city whom you rescued.”
| ויאמר אברם אל מלך סדם הרמתי ידי אל יהוה אל עליון קנה שמים וארץ | 22 |
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have solemnly promised [MTY] to Yahweh, the Supreme God, the one who created heaven and earth,
| אם מחוט ועד שרוך נעל ואם אקח מכל אשר לך ולא תאמר אני העשרתי את אברם | 23 |
that I will not accept even one thread or a thong of a sandal from anything that belongs to you. As a result, you will never be able to say, ‘I caused Abram to become rich.’
| בלעדי רק אשר אכלו הנערים וחלק האנשים אשר הלכו אתי ענר אשכל וממרא הם יקחו חלקם | 24 |
The only thing I will accept is the food that my men have eaten. But Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre went with me and fought alongside me, so let them also have a share of the goods we brought back.” [So the king of Sodom agreed to what he said].
