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, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3He journeyed on by stages from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, 7and there was strife between the herders of Abram's livestock and the herders of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.

8Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. 9Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10Lot looked about him, and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 11So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward; thus they separated from each other. 12Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring#13.15 Heb seed forever. 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks#13.18 Or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13