2 Abraham 29

Mesopotamian armies overrun the cities of the plains and take Lot prisoner. Abraham and his confederates destroy the invaders.

1. Previous to this time Amraphel, son of Nimrod king of Shinar, Chederlaomer king of Elam, Arioch king of Ellashar [Larsa] and Tidal, king of Goi'im in Mesopotamia, had waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinah king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela.

2. They assembled for combat in the valley of Siddim; and the king of Shinar and his royal allies overcame the king of Sodom and his confederates, and imposed tribute upon them. For twelve years they paid their tribute to the king of Shinar, but in the thirteenth year they revolted against him.

3. In the fourteeneth year the king of Shinar led forth all his allies and they went up along the way of the wilderness attacking and plundering all who were confederate with the king of Sodom. But the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela came forth to battle and met Amraphel and his allies in the valley of Siddim.

4. However, Amraphel and his allies prevailed against them and Bera king of Sodom turned and fled; and Birsha, king of Gomorrah, fell into the slime pits which were in the valley of Siddim and perished there. The remainder of the kings fled unto the mountain which was called Hanabal, and tarried there in great fear.

5. Thereupon the king of Shinar and his allies overran the cities of Sodom and Gomorah, seizing the inhabitants thereof captive and plundering all their goods, and proceeded back toward the land of Shinar.

6. With them also they took Lot, my brother's son, who had settled in Sodom together with all he possessed. But one of Lot's servants who dwelt in his house escaped and came to me in Hebron and told me that Lot, my brother's son, had been taken with all his possessions, but that he yet lived. He showed me, moreover, the route which the kings had taken toward the land of Damascus.

7. When I heard this news, my heart melted within me for Lot, who had stood at my right hand, had been as a brother to me in the place of my brother Haran, who had been slain in the land of Shinar. O that Lot had stayed among the body of the believers of El Elyon, I thought, and not gone off to possess his own property apart. Then these circumstances would never have befallen him that he should be in the hands of Amraphel, son of Nimrod king of Shinar and his hosts.

8. But as I thus mourned over Lot, the Word of Yahweh came unto me, saying: Arise, Abraham, and take thee three hundred and eighty of the young men of the strength of thine house, and also thy friends Aneram, Eshcol and Mamre, each with one hundred and five of the strength of his house, and also Eliezer of Damascus who is with thee in the tent, and pursue after Amraphel, son of Nimrod king of Shinar, for truly I shall deliver his hosts into your hands.

9. Wherefore we did according to all that Yahweh had commanded me, having in all seven hundreds of men. And we pursued after them even unto the valley of Lachish [Dan] where we found them encamped. And falling upon them by night from all four directions, we commenced the work of death and continued wrecking slaughter among them and discomforting them all that night.

10. And with the rising of the sun they fled from before us until they reached Hobah which is situated to the west of Damascus where we did again overtake them and overpower them. There we did strip them of all that they had taken as plunder and loot and likewise of all their own goods.

11. Lot also and his family we rescued from their hands and, restoring him to all his possessions and all that they had taken from him as spoil, we returned him to his home in peace.

Authors: JB, LThE, SBSK et al

First created in 1990 Updated on 6 June 2016

Copyright © 1987-2016 Chavurat Bekorot All Rights Reserved

Wszelkie Prawa Zastrzeżone | Alle Recht vorbehalten