Daily Bible Reading, Day 4 (Genesis 12-15)

Yahweh’s Promise to Abram and the Journey to Canaan

Genesis chapter 12. And Yahweh said to Abram go forth from your land and from your kin and from your father's house to the land which I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great and so you shall be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

So Abram went forth as Yahweh had spoken to him and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. So Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son and all their possessions which they had accumulated and the persons which they had acquired in Haran and they departed to go forth to the land of Canaan.

Thus they came to the land of Canaan and Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem to the yoke of Morah. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to your seed I will give this land.

So he built an altar there to Yahweh who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to Yahweh and called upon the name of Yahweh.

And Abram journeyed on continuing toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there for the famine was severe in the land. And it happened as he drew near to entering Egypt that he said to Sarai his wife.

Now behold I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance and it will be when the Egyptians see you that they will say this is his wife and they will kill me but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you and that I may live on account of you.

Now it happened when Abram came into Egypt that the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful and Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

Therefore he treated Abram well because of her and sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels came into his possession. But Yahweh struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

Then Pharaoh called Abram and said what is this you have done to me. Why did you not tell me that she was your wife. Why did you say she is my sister so that I took her for myself as a wife. So now here is your wife take her and go.

So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him and they sent him away with his wife and all that belonged to him. Genesis chapter 13. So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev he and his wife and all that belonged to him and lot with him.

Abram and Lot Separate Over the Land

Now Abram was very rich in livestock in silver and in gold and he went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and Ai to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly and there Abram called upon the name of Yahweh.

Now lot who was going with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents and the land could not sustain them while living together for their possessions were so abundant that they were not able to live together.

And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of lots livestock. Now the Canaanite and the parasite were living then in the land. So Abram said to lot please let there be no strife between you and me nor between my herdsmen in your herdsmen for we are brothers.

Is not the whole land before you. Please separate from me if to the left then I will go to the right or if to the right then I will go to the left. Then lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan that it was well-watered everywhere.

This was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah like the garden of Yahweh like the land of Egypt as you go to Zohar. So lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan and lot journey to eastward.

Thus they separated from each other. Now the men of Sodom were evil and sinners exceedingly so against Yahweh. And Yahweh said to Abram after lot had separated from him. Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are northward and southward and eastward and westward.

For all the land which you see I will give it to you and to your seed forever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth then your seed can also be numbered.

Arise walk about the land through its length and breadth for I will give it to you. Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre which are in Hebron and there he built an altar to Yahweh.

Abram Rescues Lot and Meets Melchizedek

Genesis chapter 14. And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar Ariok king of Elisar Keter Lamer king of Elam and title king of Goyim that they made war with Bira king of Sodom and with Bersha king of Gomorrah shinab king of Adma and Shember king of Zeboiim and the king of Bila that is Zohar.

All these came as allies to the valley of Siddam that is the salt sea. Now for 12 years they had served Keter Lamer but the 13th year they rebelled. So in the 14th year Keter Lamer and the kings that were with him came and struck the Rephaim in Ashtaroth Carneum and the Zuzim in Ham and the Amim in Sheva-Kerithaim and the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-Paran which is by the wilderness.

Then they turned back and came to Enmishpat that is Kadesh and they struck all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites who were living in Hazazan Tamar and the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Adma and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bila that is Zohar came out and they arranged themselves for battle against them in the valley of Siddam against Keter Lamer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Ariok king of Elessar four kings against five.

Now the valley of Siddam was full of tar pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and they fell into them. But those who remain behind fled to the hill country. Then they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and departed.

They also took Lot Abram's nephew and his possessions and departed. Now he was living in Sodom. Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was dwelling by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner and these were in a covenant with Abram.

So Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive and he led out his trained men born in his house 318 in number and went in pursuit as far as Dan and he divided his men against them by night he and his servants and struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah which is north of Damascus and he brought back all the possessions and he also brought back his relative lot with his possessions and also the women and the people.

Then after he came back from striking down Keter Lamer and the kings who were with him the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Sheba that is the Kings Valley. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.

Now he was a priest of God Most High. Then he blessed him and said blessed be Abram of God Most High possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be God Most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand.

Then he gave him a tenth of all. And the king of Sodom said to Abram give the people to me but take the possessions for yourself. Then Abram said to the king of Sodom I have raised my hand to Yahweh God Most High possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours so that you would not say I have made Abram rich.

I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me Aner Eshcol and Mamre let them take their share. Genesis chapter 15. After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision saying do not fear Abram I am a shield to you your reward shall be very great.

The Covenant Promise and the Counting of Righteousness

And Abram said Oh Lord Yahweh what will you give me as I go on being childless. And the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. And Abram said since you have given no seed to me behold one born in my house is my heir.

Then behold the word of Yahweh came to him saying this one will not be your heir but one who will come forth from your own body he shall be your heir. And he brought him outside and said now look toward the heavens and number the stars if you are able to number them.

And he said to him so shall your seed be. Then he believed in Yahweh and he counted it to him as righteousness. And he said to him I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it.

And he said Oh Lord Yahweh how may I know that I will possess it. So he said to him bring me a three-year-old heifer and a three-year-old female goat and a three-year-old ram and a turtle dove and a young pigeon.

Then he brought all these to him and split them into parts down the middle and laid each part opposite the other. But he did not split apart the birds. Then the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses and Abram drove them away.

Now it happened that when the Sun was going down a deep sleep fell upon Abram and behold terror and great darkness fell upon him. Then God said to Abram know for certain that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and they will be enslaved and mistreated 400 years.

But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved. And afterward they will come out with many possessions as for you. You shall go to your father's in peace you will be buried at a good old age.

Then in the fourth generation they will return here for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. Now it happened that the Sun had set and it was very dark and behold there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.

On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram saying to your seed I have given this land from the River of Egypt as far as the Great River the River Euphrates the Kenite and the Kenazite and the Kadmonite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.