3 And he journeyed on from the South [country of Judah, the Negeb] as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 Where he had built an altar at first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. [Gal. 3:6-9.]

5 But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6 Now the land was not able to nourish and support them so they could dwell together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together.

7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land [making fodder more difficult to obtain].

8 So Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I beg of you, between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are relatives.

9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, I beg of you, from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right hand, then I will go to the left.

10 And Lot looked and saw that everywhere the Jordan Valley was well watered. Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [it was all] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

11 Then Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and [he] traveled east. So they separated.

12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the [Jordan] Valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom and dwelt there.

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever. [Acts 7:5.]

16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then could your descendants also be counted. [Gen. 28:14.]

17 Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.

18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt among the oaks or terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and built there an altar to the Lord.

1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

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Genesis 13

1So Abram went up from Egypt—he and his wife and everything that belonged to him, and Lot with him—to the Negev.

2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold.

3He proceeded by stages from the Negev as far as Beth-El—to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-El and Ai,

4to the place of the altar that he had made there at first, and there Abram called on the Name of Adonai.

Lot Separates From Abram

5Now Lot, who was going with Abram, also had sheep and cattle and tents,

6so that the land could not support them living together, because their possessions were many, and they were not able to stay together.

7So there was a quarrel between the shepherds of Abram’s livestock and the shepherds of Lot’s livestock. (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land then.)

8So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between me and you, or between my shepherds and yours, since we are relatives.

9Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If to the left, then I’ll go to the right, and if to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

10Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the whole area surrounding the Jordan was well watered in its entirety (before Adonai destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah)—like Adonai’s garden, like the land of Egypt—till you come to Zoar.

11So Lot chose for himself the whole area surrounding the Jordan. Lot journeyed to the east, and they separated from each other.

12Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the valley. And he moved his tent from place to place near Sodom.

13But the people of Sodom were evil—very great sinners against Adonai.

14After Lot separated himself from him, Adonai had said to Abram, “lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are, to the north, south, east and west.

15For all the land that you are looking at, I will give to you and to your seed forever.

16I will make your seed like the dust of the earth so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your seed could also be counted.

17Get up! Walk about the land through its length and width—for I will give it to you.”

18So Abram moved his tent from place to place, and came and dwelt by Mamre’s large trees, which are in Hebron, and there built an altar to Adonai.

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Genesis 13

Genesis 13