10. The valley was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from the battle, they fell into the pits; but the other three kings escaped to the mountains.
11. The four kings took everything in Sodom and Gomorrah, including the food, and went away.
12. Lot, Abram's nephew, was living in Sodom, so they took him and all his possessions.
13. But a man escaped and reported all this to Abram, the Hebrew, who was living near the sacred trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's allies.
14. When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called together all the fighting men in his camp, 318 in all, and pursued the four kings all the way to Dan.
15. There he divided his men into groups, attacked the enemy by night, and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus,
16. and recovered the loot that had been taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other prisoners.
17. When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (also called the King's Valley).
18. And Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine to Abram,
19. blessed him, and said, “May the Most High God, who made heaven and earth, bless Abram!
20. May the Most High God, who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!” And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot he had recovered.
21. The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Keep the loot, but give me back all my people.”
22. Abram answered, “I solemnly swear before the Lord, the Most High God, Maker of heaven and earth,
23. that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’