Genesis 13

Abram and Lot

Abram and Lot separate

1Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.

2Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold. 3Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai, 4where he had earlier camped and built an altar. There he worshipped the LORD.

5Lot, who was travelling with him, also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and slaves. 6-7At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the same area, and so there wasn't enough pasture land left for Abram and Lot with all their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarrelling.

8Abram said to Lot, “We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another. 9There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north.”

10This happened before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the LORD or the land of Egypt.#Gn 2.10. 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started towards the east, he and Abram separated. 12Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom, 13where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the LORD.

Abram moves to Hebron

14After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the LORD said to Abram:

Look around to the north, south, east, and west. 15I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs for ever!#Ac 7.5. 16I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and some day it will be easier to count the specks of dust than to count your descendants. 17Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am giving it to you.

18Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honour of the LORD.

Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1Abram went north out of Egypt to the southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned, and Lot went with him. 2Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold. 3Then he left there and moved from place to place, going towards Bethel. He reached the place between Bethel and Ai where he had camped before 4and had built an altar. There he worshipped the LORD.

5Lot also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and servants. 6And so there was not enough pasture land for the two of them to stay together, because they had too many animals. 7So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still living in the land.)

8Then Abram said to Lot, “We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarrelling. 9So let's separate. Choose any part of the land you want. You go one way, and I'll go the other.”

10 # Gen 2.10 Lot looked round and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the LORD#13.10 Garden of the LORD: a reference to the Garden of Eden. or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away towards the east. That is how the two men parted. 12Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled among the cities in the valley and camped near Sodom, 13whose people were wicked and sinned against the LORD.

Abram Moves to Hebron

14After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram, “From where you are, look carefully in all directions. 15#Acts 7.5I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours for ever. 16I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! 17Now, go and look over the whole land, because I am going to give it all to you.” 18So Abram moved his camp and settled near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13