2Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3And he journeyed on 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. 5And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelt in the land.

8Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen. 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.” 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley 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 destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 11So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other. 12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15#Acts 7.5; Gal 3.16. for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. 16I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. 17Arise, 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 dwelt by the oaks#13.18 Or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

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Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1So Abram, his wife and Lot left Egypt. They took everything they owned and traveled to southern Canaan. 2Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.

3He left southern Canaan and went back to Bethel. He went where he had camped before, between Bethel and Ai. 4It was the place where Abram had built an altar before. So he worshiped the Lord there.

5During this time Lot was traveling with Abram. Lot also had many sheep, cattle and tents. 6Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could not support both of them together. 7Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders began to argue. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at this time.

8So Abram said to Lot, “There should be no arguing between you and me. Your herders and mine should not argue either. We are brothers. 9We should separate. The whole land is there in front of you. 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 all around and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there. It was like the Lord’s garden, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley. In this way Abram and Lot separated. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan. But Lot lived among the cities in the Jordan Valley. He moved very near to Sodom. 13Now the people of Sodom were very evil. They were always sinning against the Lord.

14After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, “Look all around you. Look north and south and east and west. 15All this land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. 16I will make your descendants as many as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust on the earth, he could count your people. 17Get up! Walk through all this land. I am now giving it to you.”

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

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13