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17 After defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, Abram ·went home [L returned]. As he was returning, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (now called King’s Valley [C somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem]).

18 Melchizedek king of ·Salem [C probably an old name of Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine. He was a priest for God Most High [Ps. 110; Heb. 5:6–10; 6:20—7:28] 19 and blessed Abram, saying,

“Abram, may you be blessed by God Most High,
    the ·God [L one] who made heaven and earth.
20 And ·we praise [L blessed be] God Most High,
    who has ·helped you to defeat your enemies [L delivered your enemies into your hand].”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a ·tenth [tithe] of everything he had brought back from the battle.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “You may keep ·all these things [the goods/possessions] for yourself. Just give me my people who were captured.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I ·make a promise [L lifted my hand; C a gesture of swearing] to the Lord, the God Most High, who made heaven and earth. 23 I promise that I will not keep anything that is yours. I will not keep even a thread or a sandal strap [C that is, not the smallest thing] so that you cannot say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will keep nothing but the food my young men have eaten. But give Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre their share of what we won, because they went with me into battle.”

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