- Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get yourself out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you. And in you shall the families of the earth be blessed.
- So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot, his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran, and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
- And the Lord appeared unto Abram and said, Unto your seed will I give this land. And there he built an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from there unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el and pitched his tent, leaving Beth-el on the west and Ai was on the east. And there he built an altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land. And Abram went down into Egypt, to sojourn there, for the famine became grievous in the land.
- And it came to pass when he had come near to enter into Egypt that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold, now I know you to be a fair woman to look upon; therefore, it shall come to pass when the Egyptians shall see you that they shall say, This is his wife. And they will kill me, but they will save you alive. Say, I pray you, unto them, I am his sister — that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul shall live because of you. And it came to pass that when Abram had come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he treated Abram well for her sake. And he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she-asses, and camels.
- And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What have you done unto me in this thing? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, She is my sister? So I might have taken her to me to wife? Now therefore behold, I say unto you, take your wife and go your way. And Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.
- And Abram went up out of Egypt, — he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him — into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
- And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
- And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their substance was great that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle, that they could not dwell together. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
- And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, I pray you, from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right; if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
- And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. Then Lot chose himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom becoming sinners and exceedingly wicked before the Lord, the Lord was angry with them.
- And the Lord said unto Abram, after Lot was separated from him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are — northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward — and remember the covenant which I make with you; for it shall be an everlasting covenant, and you shall remember the days of Enoch your father. For all the land which you see, to you will I give you and to your seed for ever, and I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, your seed shall also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto you. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelled by the plain of Mamre, which was in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
- And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, and Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Nations, that these kings 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, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which 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 Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which was by the wilderness. And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites: 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, which is Zoar. And they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim, with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and with Tidal king of Nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings with five. And the vale of Siddim was filled with tar pits. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there. And they that remained fled to the mountain which was called Hanabal. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelled in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped and told Abram the Hebrew, the man of God; for he dwelled in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were confederate with Abram.
- And when Abram heard that Lot, his brother’s son, was taken captive, he armed his trained men and they who were born in his own house — three hundred eighteen — and pursued unto Dan. And he divided himself against them (he and his men by night), and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which was on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back Lot, his brother’s son, and all his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom also went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him at the valley of Shaveh, which was the king’s dale.
- And Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought forth bread and wine. And he broke bread and blessed it. And he blessed the wine, he being the priest of the Most High God. And he gave to Abram. And he blessed him and said, Blessed Abram, you are a man of the Most High God, possessor of Heaven and earth. And blessed is the name of the Most High God, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.
- And Abram gave him tithes of all he had taken.
- And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the people and take the goods to yourself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of Heaven and earth, and have sworn that I will not take of you, from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich, save only 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.
- And Melchizedek lifted up his voice and blessed Abram.
- Now Melchizedek was a man of faith who wrought righteousness. And when a child, he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire. And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the Order of the covenant which God made with Enoch, it being after the Order of the Son of God, which Order came not by man, nor the will of men, neither by father nor mother, neither by beginning of days nor end of years, but of God. And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.
- For God, having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself that everyone being ordained after this Order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course, to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to his will, according to his command subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. And men having this faith, coming up unto this Order of God, were translated and taken up into Heaven.
- And now Melchizedek was a priest of this Order, therefore he obtained peace in Salem and was called the Prince of Peace. And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained Heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world, and has said and sworn with an oath that the heavens and the earth should come together, and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire. And this Melchizedek, having thus established righteousness, was called the King of Heaven by his people — or in other words, the King of Peace.
- And he lifted up his voice and he blessed Abram, being the high priest and the keeper of the storehouse of God, him whom God had appointed to receive tithes for the poor. Wherefore, Abram paid unto him tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had given him, more than that which he had need. And it came to pass that God blessed Abram, and gave unto him riches, and honor, and lands for an everlasting possession, according to the covenant which he had made and according to the blessing with which Melchizedek had blessed him.
- And it came to pass that after these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I will be your shield. I will be your exceedingly great reward. And according to the blessings of my servant, I will give unto you. And Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless and Eliezer of Damascus was made the steward of my house? And Abram said, Behold, to me you have given no seed and one born in my house is my heir. And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him again, saying, This shall not be your heir, but he that shall come forth out of your own body shall be your heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and he said, Look now toward heaven and tally the stars, if you are able to number them. And he said unto him, So shall your seed be. And Abram said, Lord God, how will you give me this land for an everlasting inheritance? And the Lord said, Though you were dead, yet am I not able to give it to you? And if you shall die, yet you shall possess it. For the day comes that the Son of Man shall live. But how can he live if he be not dead? He must first be quickened.
- And it came to pass that Abram looked forth and saw the days of the Son of Man, and was glad. And his soul found rest, and he believed in the Lord, and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness. And the Lord said unto him, I, the Lord, brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees to give you this land to inherit it. And Abram said, Lord, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? — yet he believed God. And the Lord 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 a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto himself all these. And he divided them in the middle and laid each piece one against another, but the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and behold, a great horror of darkness fell upon him. And the Lord spoke and he said unto Abram, Know of a certainty that your seed shall be a stranger in a land which shall not be theirs, and shall serve strangers. And they shall be afflicted and serve them four hundred years. And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge. And afterward shall they come out with great substance. And you shall die and go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation, they shall come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
- And it came to pass that when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp, which passed between those pieces which Abram had divided. And in that same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river Euphrates — the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
- Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. And she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold, now the Lord has restrained me from bearing. I urge you, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram listened unto the voice of Sarai. And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar, her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram 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 is upon you. I have given my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between me and you. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her as it pleases you. And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, 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 maid, where did you come from and where will you go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress, Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, The Lord will multiply your seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction. And he will be a wild man, and his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the angel of the Lord, and he spoke unto her, saying, Do you know that God sees you? And she said, I know that God sees me, for I have also here looked after him.
- And there was a well between Kadesh and Bered near where Hagar saw the angel. And the name of the angel was Beer-Lahai-Roi. Wherefore, the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi for a memorial. And Hagar bore Abram a son. And Abram called his son’s name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
- And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared unto Abram and said unto him, I, the Almighty God, give unto you a commandment that you shall walk uprightly before me and be perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and you and will multiply you exceedingly. And it came to pass that Abram fell on his face and called upon the name of the Lord. And God talked with him, saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts and have not kept my ordinances which I gave unto their fathers. And they have not observed my anointing, and the burial, or baptism, with which I commanded them, but have turned from the commandment and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling, and have said that the blood of the righteous Abel was shed for sins, and have not known wherein they are accountable before me.
- But as for you, behold, I will make my covenant with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. And this covenant I make that your children may be known among all nations. Neither shall your name anymore be called Abram, but your name shall be called Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made you. And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come up of you and of your seed. And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with you, and it shall be my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations, that you may know for ever that children are not accountable before me till eight years old. And you shall observe to keep all my covenants wherein I covenanted with your fathers. And you shall keep the commandments which I have given you with my own mouth. And I will be a God unto you and your seed after you. And I will give unto you and your seed after you the land wherein you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Therefore, you shall keep my covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations.
- And this shall be my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your seed after you: every male child among you shall be circumcised. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male child in your generations: he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger who is not of your seed. He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised. And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people — he has broken my covenant.
- And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai, your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah you shall call her name. And I will bless her and I will give you a son also of her. Yea, I will bless her and she shall be Blessed, the mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
- Then Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and said in his heart, There shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old, and Sarah that is ninety years shall bear.
- And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live uprightly before you. And God said, Sarah, your wife, shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him also, for an everlasting covenant with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year.
- And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day, Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house who were born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, they were circumcised with him.
- And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre. And he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood by him. And when he saw, he ran to meet them from his tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground and said, My brethren, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from your servant. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort your hearts. After that, you shall pass on, for that is why you are come to your servant. And they said, So do as you have said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set before them. And he stood by them under the tree and they did eat.
- And they said unto him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold in the tent. And one of them blessed Abraham. And he said, I will certainly return unto you from my journey. And behold, according to the time of life, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard him in the tent door. And now Abraham and Sarah being old and stricken in age, therefore it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the angel of the Lord said unto Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a certainty bear a child, who am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed, behold, I will return unto you from my journey which the Lord has sent me. And according to the time of life, you may know that Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, for she was afraid. And he said, Nay, but you did laugh.
- And the angels rose up from there and looked towards Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the angel of the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which the Lord will do for him? Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him. And the angel of the Lord said unto Abraham, The Lord said unto us, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will destroy them. And I will send you, and you shall go down now and see that their iniquities are rewarded unto them. And you shall have all things done altogether according to the cry of it which has come up unto me. And if you do it not, it shall be upon your heads, for I will destroy them. And you shall know that I will do it, for it shall be before your eyes.
- And the angels, who were holy men and were sent forth after the Order of God, turned their faces from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham stood yet before the Lord remembering the things which had been told him.
- And Abraham drew near to Sodom and said unto the Lord, calling upon his name, saying, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Will you not spare them? Perhaps there may be fifty righteous within the city. Will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that may be therein? Oh, may that be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked. O God, may that be far from you. For shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said unto Abraham, If you find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who is able to destroy the city and lay all the people in dust and ashes. Will the Lord spare them if perhaps there lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for their wickedness if I find there forty-five righteous? And he said, I will not destroy, but spare them. And he spoke unto him again and said, If perhaps there should be forty found there? And he said, I will not destroy it for forty’s sake. And he said again unto the Lord, Oh, let not the Lord be angry and I will speak. If perhaps there shall thirty be found there? And he said, I will not destroy them if you shall find thirty there. And he said, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Will you destroy them if perhaps there shall be twenty found there? And he said, I will not destroy them for twenty’s sake. And Abraham said unto the Lord, Oh, let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once. If perhaps ten shall be found there? And he said, I will not destroy them for ten’s sake. And the Lord ceased speaking with Abraham. And as soon as he had left communing with the Lord, Abraham went his way. And it came to pass that Abraham returned unto his tent.
- And it came to pass that there came three angels to Sodom in the evening. And Lot sat in the door of his house in the city of Sodom. And Lot, seeing the angels, rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face toward the ground, and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in now, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and stay all night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early and go on your ways. And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house. And he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down to rest, the men of the city of Sodom encompassed the house round, even men who were both old and young, even the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot and said unto him, Where are the men who came in unto you this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out of the door unto them, and shut the door after him, and said, I urge you, brethren, do not so wickedly. And they said unto him, Stand back. And they were angry with him. And they said among themselves, This one man came in to sojourn among us, and he will necessarily now make himself to be a judge; now we will deal worse with him than with them. Wherefore, they said unto the man, We will have the men, and your daughters also, and we will do with them as seems us good. Now this was after the wickedness of Sodom.
- And Lot said, Behold, now I have two daughters who have not known man. Let me, I pray you, plead with my brethren that I may not bring them out unto you; and you shall not do unto them as seems good in your eyes, for God will not justify his servant in this thing. Wherefore, let me plead with my brethren, this once only, that unto these men you do nothing, that they may have peace in my house; for that is why they came under the shadow of my roof. And they were angry with Lot, and came near to break the door. But the angels of God, who were holy men, put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house unto them, and shut the door. And they smote the men with blindness, both small and great, that they could not come at the door. And they were angry, so that they wearied themselves to find the door and could not find it.
- And these holy men said unto Lot, Do you have any here besides your sons-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters? And they commanded Lot, saying, Whatever you have in the city, you shall bring out of this place; for we will destroy this place because the cry of them has grown great, and their abominations have come up before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up; get yourselves out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law. And when the morning arose, the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the angels laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto them, and they brought them forth and set them down outside the city.
- And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that they said unto them, Escape for your lives. Look not behind you, neither stay in all the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed. And Lot said unto one of them, Oh, not so my lord. Behold now, your servant has found grace in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown unto me in saving my life. And I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil overtake me and I die. Behold, now here is another city, and this is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape there, and may not the Lord destroy it, and my soul shall live. And the angel said unto him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hasten, escape there, for I cannot do anything till you arrive there (and the name of the city was called Zoar). Therefore, the sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar, and the Lord did not destroy Sodom until Lot had entered into Zoar. And then, when Lot had entered into Zoar, the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, for the angels called upon the name of the Lord for brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And thus they overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But it came to pass that when Lot fled, his wife looked back from behind him and became a pillar of salt.
- And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord. And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God had destroyed the cities of the plain, that God spoke unto Abraham, saying, I have remembered Lot and sent him out of the midst of the overthrow, that your brother might not be destroyed when I overthrew the city in which your brother Lot dwelled. And Abraham was comforted.
- And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelled in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar. And he dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the first born dealt wickedly and said unto the younger, Our father has become old, and we have not a man on the earth to come in unto us, to live with us after the manner of all they that live on the earth. Therefore, come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him that we may preserve seed of our father. And they did wickedly and made their father drink wine that night. And the first born went in and lay with her father, and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the next day that the first born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the first born bore a son and called his name Moab, the father of the Moabites, the same who is unto this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi, the father of the children of who are Ammiites, the same who are unto this day.
- And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said again of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said unto him, Behold, you have taken a woman who is not your own, for she is Abraham’s wife. And the Lord said unto him, You shall return her unto Abraham, for if you do it not, you shall die. And Abimelech had not come near her, for the Lord had not suffered him. And he said, Lord, will you slay me and also a righteous nation? Behold, said he not unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. And in the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that you did do this in the integrity of your heart, for I also withheld you from sinning against me, therefore I suffered you not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man’s wife to him, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you and you shall live. And if you restore her not to him, know that you shall surely die, you and all that are yours.
- Therefore, Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called his servants, and told all these things in their ears. And the men were sorely afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, What have you done unto us? And in what have I offended you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done things unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What did you see, that you have done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I thought assuredly the fear of God was not in this place and they would slay me for my wife’s sake. And yet indeed, she was my sister. She was the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This shall be your kindness which you shall show unto me: at every place to which we shall come, say of me, He is my brother. And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave unto Abraham, and restored unto him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land lies before you, dwell where it pleases you. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, he shall give unto you a covering of the eyes, and it shall be a token unto all that you may not be taken again from Abraham, your husband. And thus she was reproved. So Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they bore unto him children — for because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech.
Chapter 7
Abram’s journey out of Egypt, etc.
Melchizedek blessed Abram and gave him bread and wine, etc.
A covenant made to Abram and his seed after him, etc.
Sarai gave Hagar to her husband to wife because she was barren, etc.
Abram’s name changed to Abraham and circumcision instituted, etc.
The Lord appeared unto Abraham, etc., Lot being warned of angels to flee from the city of Sodom, etc.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.
Abraham’s journey to the land of Gerar, he called his wife his sister, etc.