13 ABRAM LEAVES UR
On Abram's account Terah and all his House, with Abram, Leave Ur Casdim to go to the Land of Canaan. They tarry in Haran, where YAHWEH Appears to Abram, and upon condition of Faithfulness, Promises many Blessings. Abram, commanded of YAHWEH, takes his Wife and all belonging to him and goes to the Land of Canaan, where YAHWEH again appears to him and Promises the Land of Canaan as an Everlasting Inheritance. After Fifteen Years, Abram returns to Haran to Visit his Father. Teaches many to Walk in the Ways of YAHWEH. Again commanded to go to Canaan, where he Builds an Altar. YAHWEH renews his Covenant with him.
1 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and all the souls of his household and went with them from Ur Casdim to go to the land of Canaan. And when they came as far as the land of Haran they remained there, for it was exceedingly good land for pasture, and of sufficient extent for those who accompanied them.
2 And the people of the land of Haran saw that Abram was good and upright with YAHWEH and men, and that YAHWEH his Elohim was with him, and some of the people of the land of Haran came and joined Abram, and he taught them the instruction of YAHWEH and his ways; and these men remained with Abram in his house and they adhered to him.
3 And Abram remained in the land three years, and at the expiration of three years YAHWEH appeared to Abram and said to him; I am YAHWEH who brought you forth from Ur Casdim, and delivered you from the hands of all thine enemies.
4 And now therefore if you wilt hearken to my voice and keep my commandments, my statutes and my laws, then will I cause your enemies to fall before you, and I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and I will send my blessing upon all the works of your hands, and you shalt lack nothing.
5 Arise now, take your wife and all belonging to you and go to the land of Canaan and remain there, and I will there be unto you for a Father, and I will bless you. And Abram rose and took his wife and all belonging to him, and he went to the land of Canaan as YAHWEH had told him; and Abram was fifty five years old when he went from Haran.
6 And Abram came to the land of Canaan and dwelt in the midst of the city, and he there pitched his tent among the children of Canaan, inhabitants of the land.
7 And YAHWEH appeared to Abram when he came to the land of Canaan, and said to him, This is the land which I gave unto you and to your seed after you forever, and I will make your seed like the stars of heaven, and I will give unto your seed for an inheritance all the lands which you see.
8 And Abram built an altar in the place where YAHWEH had spoken to him, and Abram there called upon the name of YAHWEH.
9 At that time, at the end of three years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, in that year Noah died, which was the fifty-eighth year of the life of Abram; and all the days that Noah lived were nine hundred and fifty years and he died.
10 And Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, he, his wife, and all belonging to him, and all those that accompanied him, together with those that joined him from the people of the land; but Nahor, Abram's brother, and Terah his father, and Lot the son of Haran and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran.
11 In the fifth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the cities of the plain revolted from the power of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; for all the kings of the cities of the plain had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and given him a yearly tax, but in those days in the thirteenth year, they rebelled against him.
12 And in the tenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan there was war between Nimrod king of Shinar and Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Nimrod came to fight with Chedorlaomer and to subdue him.
13 For Chedorlaomer was at that time one of the princes of the hosts of Nimrod, and when all the people at the tower were dispersed and those that remained were also scattered upon the face of the earth, Chedorlaomer went to the land of Elam and reigned over it and rebelled against his lord.
14 And in those days when Nimrod saw that the cities of the plain had rebelled, he came with pride and anger to war with Chedorlaomer, and Nimrod assembled all his princes and subjects, about seven hundred thousand men, and went against Chedorlaomer, and Chedorlaomer went out to meet him with five thousand men, and they prepared for battle in the valley of Babel which is between Elam and Shinar.
15 And all those kings fought there, and Nimrod and his people were smitten before the people of Chedorlaomer, and there fell from Nimrod's men about six hundred thousand, and Mardon the king's son fell among them.
16 And Nimrod fled and returned in shame and disgrace to his land, and he was under subjection to Chedorlaomer for a long time, and Chedorlaomer returned to his land and sent princes of his host to the kings that dwelt around him, to Arioch king of Elasar, and to Tidal king of Goyim, and made a covenant with them, and they were all obedient to his commands.
17 And it was in the fifteenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year of the life of Abram, and YAHWEH appeared to Abram in that year and he said to him, I am YAHWEH who brought you out from Ur Casdim to give you this land for an inheritance.
18 Now therefore walk before me and be perfect and keep my commands, for to you and to your seed I will give this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river Euphrates.
19 And you shalt come to your fathers in peace and in good age, and the fourth generation shall return here in this land and shall inherit it forever; and Abram built an altar, and he called upon the name of YAHWEH who appeared to him, and he brought up sacrifices upon the altar to YAHWEH.
20 At that time Abram returned and went to Haran to see his father and mother, and his father's household, and Abram and his wife and all belonging to him returned to Haran, and Abram dwelt in Haran five years.
21 And many of the people of Haran, about seventy-two men, followed Abram and Abram taught them the instruction of YAHWEH and his ways, and he taught them to know YAHWEH.
22 In those days YAHWEH appeared to Abram in Haran, and he said to him, Behold, I spoke unto you these twenty years back saying,
23 Go forth from your land, from your birth-place and from your father's house, to the land which I have shown you to give it to you and to your children, for there in that land will I bless you, and make you a great nation, and make your name great, and in you shall the families of the earth be blessed.
24 Now therefore arise, go forth from this place, you, your wife, and all belonging to you, also every one born in your house and all the souls you have made in Haran, and bring them out with you from here, and rise to return to the land of Canaan.
25 And Abram arose and took his wife Sarai and all belonging to him and all that were born to him in his house and the souls which they had made in Haran, and they came out to go to the land of Canaan.
26 And Abram went and returned to the land of Canaan, according to the word of YAHWEH. And Lot the son of his brother Haran went with him, and Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran to return to the land of Canaan.
27 And he came to the land of Canaan according to the word of YAHWEH to Abram, and he pitched his tent and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, and with him was Lot his brother's son, and all belonging to him.
28 And YAHWEH again appeared to Abram and said, To your seed will I give this land; and he there built an altar to YAHWEH who appeared to him, which is still to this day in the plains of Mamre.