1So Abram left Egypt and went back into the Negev along with Sarai, Lot, and everyone with them, as well as all their possessions. 2Abram was very rich, having many herds of livestock and a great deal of silver and gold. 3He left the Negev and traveled in stages to Bethel, back to the place where he'd camped before, between Bethel and Ai. 4This was where he'd first built an altar. He worshiped the Lord there as he had done previously.

5Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had many flocks, herds, and tents, 6so much so that the available land couldn't support both of them—they had so much livestock they couldn't stay together anymore. 7Abram's and Lot's herdsmen were arguing, and in addition the Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8So Abram said to Lot, “Please don't let's have arguments between us, or between our herdsmen, because we're family. 9You see all this land that's available right in front of you? We have to split up. If you choose to go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you choose to go to the right, I'll go to the left.”

10Lot looked over the whole Jordan valley towards Zoar, and saw that it was well-watered, looking like the Garden of Eden, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan valley and went east, and the two separated from each other. 12Abram went to live in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled down among the towns in the valley, setting up his tents near Sodom. 13(The people of Sodom were very wicked, committing terrible sins that offended the Lord.)

14After separating from Lot, the Lord told Abram, “Look around you from where you're standing, to the north, south, east, and west. 15I'm giving all this land you see to you and your descendants forever. 16You will have so many descendants that they'll be like the dust of the earth. If anyone could count dust then they could count the number of your descendants! 17Go and walk through the whole land in all directions because I'm giving it to you.”

18So Abram went to live at Hebron, setting up his tents among the oaks at Mamre, where he built an altar to the Lord.

Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com

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Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

3From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

14The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring#13:15 Or seed; also in verse 16 forever. 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

18So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13