Genesis 13

Abram Inherits Canaan

1Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and #Gen. 12:4; 14:12, 16Lot with him, #Gen. 12:9to the South. 2#Gen. 24:35; 26:14; Ps. 112:3; Prov. 10:22Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3And he went on his journey #Gen. 12:8, 9from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the #Gen. 12:7, 8; 21:33place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram #Ps. 116:17called on the name of the Lord.

5Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6Now #Gen. 36:7the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7And there was #Gen. 26:20strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. #Gen. 12:6; 15:20, 21The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.

8So Abram said to Lot, #1 Cor. 6:7; (Phil. 2:14, 15)“Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9#Gen. 20:15; 34:10Is not the whole land before you? Please #Gen. 13:11, 14separate from me. #(Rom. 12:18)If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

10And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all #Gen. 19:17–29; Deut. 34:3the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord #Gen. 19:24destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) #Gen. 2:8, 10; Is. 51:3like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward #Gen. 14:2, 8; 19:22; Deut. 34:3Zoar. 11Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot #Gen. 19:24, 25, 29dwelt in the cities of the plain and #Gen. 14:12; 19:1pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom #Gen. 18:20, 21; Ezek. 16:49; 2 Pet. 2:7, 8were exceedingly wicked and #Gen. 6:11; 39:9; Num. 32:23sinful against the Lord.

14And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot #Gen. 13:11had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—#Gen. 28:14northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15for all the land which you see #Gen. 12:7; 13:17; 15:7, 18; 17:8; Deut. 34:4; Acts 7:5I give to you and #2 Chr. 20:7; Ps. 37:22your descendants forever. 16And #Gen. 22:17; Ex. 32:13; Num. 23:10I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

18#Gen. 26:17Then Abram moved his tent, and went and #Gen. 14:13dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, #Gen. 23:2; 35:27which are in Hebron, and built an #Gen. 8:20; 22:8, 9altar there to the Lord.

Genesis 13

Abram Returns to Canaan

1So Abram left Egypt. He traveled through the Negev with his wife and everything he owned. Lot was also with them. 2At this time Abram was very rich. He had many animals and much silver and gold.

3Abram continued traveling around. He left the Negev and went back to Bethel. He went to the place between the city of Bethel and Ai,#13:3 Ai The name of this town means “the ruins.” where he and his family had camped before. 4This was where Abram had built an altar earlier. So he worshiped the Lord there.

Abram and Lot Separate

5During this time Lot was also traveling with Abram. Lot had many animals and tents. 6Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could not support both of them together. 7(The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in this land at the same time.) The shepherds of Abram and Lot began to argue.

8So Abram said to Lot, “There should be no arguing between you and me or between your people and my people. We are all brothers. 9We should separate. You can choose any place you want. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

10Lot looked and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord’s Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt.) 11So Lot chose to live in the Jordan Valley. The two men separated, and Lot began traveling east. 12Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived among the cities in the valley. Lot moved as far as Sodom and made his camp there. 13The Lord knew that the people of Sodom were very evil sinners.

14After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, “Look around you. Look north, south, east, west. 15All this land that you see I will give to you and your people who live after you. This will be your land forever. 16I will make your people so many that they will be like the dust of the earth. If people could count all the particles of dust on earth, they could count your people. 17So go. Walk through your land. I now give it to you.”

18So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the big trees of Mamre. This was near the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord.

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13