Abraham pursues; Melchizedek brings bread and wine; promise of seed

came down upon the land, of those near, and of those from the bordering country, having taken the city by force together with those allotted to lead, Lot was being carried away together with those who rose up, and together with the others was spear-taken; and someone of those saved arriving, ‘It was announced,’ he says, ‘to Abraham the passer, and he himself was dwelling toward the oak the of Mamre, of Amorite the brother of Eshcol, and of the brother of Aunan, who were confederates of Abram. And Abram hearing that Lot his brother’s son has been captived, numbered his own house-born, three hundreds ten and eight. And he pursued behind them until Dan; and he fell upon them the night himself, and his servants. And he struck them, and pursued them until Hobah, which is on Damascus’s left. And he turned back every horse of Sodom, and Lot his brother’s son he turned back, and all his belongings, and the women, and the people. And a king of Sodom went out unto a meeting with him, after his turning back from the cut of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings with him into the valley of Shaveh. This was the plain of the kings. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out breads and wine; and he was priest of God most high; and he blessed Abram, and said: Blessed is Abram by God the most high, who created the heaven and the earth. And blessed is God the most high, who handed over your enemies under hand to you. And he gave him a tenth portion from all. And a king of Sodom said toward Abram: Give me the men, and take the horse for yourself. And Abram said toward the king of Sodom: I will stretch out my hand toward the Lord God the most high, who created the heaven and the earth, if from a cord until a sandal-strap I will take from all your things, so that you may not say that I enriched Abram, except what the young men ate, and the portion of the men who went with me, Eshcol, Aunan, Mamre; these will take a portion. And after these words a word of the Lord came to be toward Abram in a vision of the night, saying: Do not fear, Abram; I shield over you; your wage will be much exceedingly. And Abram says, Master Lord, what will you give me? and I am released childless, and the son of Masek my house-born woman, this Damascus Eliezer; and Abram said: Since you have not given me seed, and my house-born will inherit me. And at once a voice of the Lord came to be toward him, saying: This one will not inherit you; another will go out from you, this one will inherit you. And he led him out, and said to him: Look up then unto the heaven and number the stars, if you will be able to count them out. And he said: Thus will your seed be.’ You see the saints’ readiness unto good daring, and how they have the voluntary endurance of hardship? For as soon as he learned Lot had been endangered, he at once pitied the kinsman’s disaster, and snatching the house-born, and some of the confederates,