1. Now יהוה said to Abram , “Leave your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.

2. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.

3. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed.”

4. So Abram  went, as יהוה had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram  was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5. Abram  took Sarai, his wife, Lot,  his brother’s son, all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan. Into the land of Canaan they came.

6. Abram  passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. The Canaanite was then in the land.

7. יהוה appeared to Abram  and said, “I will give this land to your seed.” He built an altar there to יהוה, who appeared to him.

8. He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to יהוה and called on the name of יהוה .

9. Abram  traveled, going on still toward the South.

10. There was a famine in the land. Abram  went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11. It happened, when he had come near to enter Egypt, that he said to Sarai , his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.

12. It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive.

13. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

14. It happened that when Abram  had come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

15. The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

16. He dealt well with Abram  for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17. יהוה plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai , Abram ’s wife.

18. Pharaoh called Abram  and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

19. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”

20. Pharaoh gave men charge concerning him, and they brought him on the way with his wife and all that he had.

Chapter 13

1. Abram  went up out of Egypt: he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot  with him, into the South.

2. Abram  was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

3. He went on his journeys from the South even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4. to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram  called on the name of יהוה.

5. Lot  also, who went with Abram , had flocks, and herds, and tents.

6. The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, so that they could not live together.

7. There was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram 's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot 's livestock: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived in the land at that time.

8. Abram  said to Lot , “Please, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are relatives.

9. Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

10. Lot  lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before יהוה destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of יהוה, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

11. So Lot  chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot  traveled east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12. Abram  lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot  lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

13. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against יהוה.

14. יהוה said to Abram , after Lot  was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

15. For all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.

16. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.

17. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you.”

18. Abram  moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre , which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to יהוה.

Chapter 14

1. It happened in the days of Amraphel , king of Shinar, Arioch , king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer , king of Elam, and Tidal , king of Goiim,

2. 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).

3. All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea).

4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer , and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.

5. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6. And the Horites in their Mount Seir, to Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

7. They returned, and came to En Mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that lived in Hazazon Tamar.

8. 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) went out; and they set the battle in array against them in the valley of Siddim;

9. Against Chedorlaomer , king of Elam, and  Tidal , king of Goiim, and Amraphel , king of Shinar, and  Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.

10. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and those who remained fled to the hills.

11. They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and went their way.

12. They took Lot , Abram ’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13. One who had escaped came and told Abram , the Hebrew. Now he lived by the oaks of Mamre , the Amorite, brother of Eshcol , and brother of Aner ; and these were allies of Abram .

14. When Abram  heard that his relative was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan.

15. He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot , and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17. The king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

18. Melchizedek , king of Salem, brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.

19. He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram  of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:

20. And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram  gave him a tenth of all.

21. The king of Sodom said to Abram , “Give me the people, and take the goods to yourself.”

22. Abram  said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to יהוה, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

23. That I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram  rich.’

24. I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me:  Aner , Eshcol , and Mamre . Let them take their portion.”

Chapter 15

1. After these things the word of יהוה came to Abram  in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram . I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2. Abram  said, “Lord יהוה, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3. Abram  said, “Behold, to me you have given no seed: and, behold, one born in my house is my heir.”

4. Behold, the word of יהוה came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir.”

5. יהוה brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram , “So shall your seed be.”

6. He believed in יהוה; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

7. He said to him, “I am יהוה who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”

8. He said, “Lord יהוה, how will I know that I will inherit it?”

9. He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10. He brought him all of these, and divided them in the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn’t divide the birds.

11. The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram  drove them away.

12. When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram . Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

13. He said to Abram , “Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

14. I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great wealth,

15. But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.

16. In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.”

17. It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

18. In that day יהוה made a covenant with Abram , saying, “To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

19. The Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20. The Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21. The Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Chapter 16

1. Now Sarai , Abram ’s wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar .

2. Sarai  said to Abram , “See now, יהוה has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram  listened to the voice of Sarai .

3. Sarai , Abram ’s wife, took  Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram  had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram  her husband to be his wife.

4. He went in to  Hagar , and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5. Sarai  said to Abram , “This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. יהוה judge between me and you.”

6. But Abram  said to Sarai , “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai  dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7. The angel of  יהוה found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8. He said, “  Hagar , Sarai ’s handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai .”

9. The angel of יהוה said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”

10. The angel of יהוה said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.”

11. The angel of יהוה said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name , because יהוה has heard your affliction.

12. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”

13. She called the name of יהוה who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”

14. Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi.

15.  Hagar bore a son for Abram . Abram  called the name of his son, whom  Hagar bore, Ishmael .

16. Abram  was eighty-six years old when  Hagar bore Ishmael  to Abram .

Chapter 17

1. When Abram  was ninety-nine years old, יהוה appeared to Abram , and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

2. I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

3. Abram  fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

4. “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

5. Neither will your name any more be called Abram , but your name will be Abraham ; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

6. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

7. I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

8. I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

9. God said to Abraham , “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.

10. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

12. He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your seed.

13. He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14. The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

15. God said to Abraham , “As for Sarai  your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai , but her name will be Sarah .

16. I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”

17. Then Abraham   fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah , who is ninety years old, give birth?”

18. Abraham  said to God, “Oh that Ishmael  might live before you!”

19. God said, “No, but Sarah , your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

20. As for Ishmael , I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

21. But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah  will bear to you at this set time next year.”

22. When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham .

23. Abraham  took Ishmael , his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham ’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

24. Abraham  was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25. Ishmael , his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26. In the same day both Abraham  and Ishmael , his son, were circumcised.

27. All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.