was seventy and 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 Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land:" and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

And he removed from thence unto à mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east. And there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

GENESIS, 11, 12

For more about this promise to Abraham read: “The Light of the World," St. John, chap. 8, verses 12–59

THE BATTLE OF THE FOUR KINGS WITH FIVE

AND it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

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 (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; with Chedorlaomer the 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 full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain fo Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also

brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

And the king of Sodom 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 is the king's dale. GENESIS, 14

Read "How Lot Came to Dwell in Sodom," Genesis, chap. 13

THE PRIEST OF THE MOST HIGH GOD

AND Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

And he blessed him, and said, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And he gave him tithes of all.

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself."

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, 'I have made Abram

rich.' Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

GENESIS, 14

For more about Melchizedek read: "This Melchizedek," Psalm 110, and Hebrews, chaps. 5 and 6, verse 20, chap. 7, verses 1-4

ABRAHAM'S EXCEEDING GREAT
REWARD

AFTER these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."

And Abram said, "Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir."

And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "This shall not be thine heir; but thine own son shall be thine heir."

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them;" and he said unto him, "so shall thy seed be."

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

GENESIS, 15

Read also "By Faith," Hebrews, chap. 11; "Why Abram Was Called Abraham," Genesis, chap. 17, verses 1-8

"NAY, BUT THOU DIDST LAUGH”

AND the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy 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 ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant."

And they said, "So do, as thou hast said."

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth."

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young