Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt^(A) to the Negev,^(B) with his wife and everything he had, and Lot^(C) went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy^(D) in livestock^(E) and in silver and gold.

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

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

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(Q) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(R) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(S) 9} Is 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.”^(T)

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

¹⁴ The 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.^{(AG) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever.^{(AH) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(AI) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(AJ) for I am giving it to you.”^(AK)

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

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram^(A) in a vision:^(B)

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(F) what can you give me since I remain childless^(G) and the one who will inherit^[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?^(H)” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant^(I) in my household^(J) will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.^(K)” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars^(L)—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring^[d] be.”^(M)

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.^(N)

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out^(O) of Ur of the Chaldeans^(P) to give you this land to take possession of it.”^(Q)

⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord,^(R) how can I know^(S) that I will gain possession of it?”^(T)

⁹ So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer,^(U) a goat and a ram, each three years old,^(V) along with a dove and a young pigeon.^(W)”

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other;^(X) the birds, however, he did not cut in half.^{(Y) 11} Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses,^(Z) but Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep,^(AA) and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years^(AB) your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved^(AC) and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out^(AD) with great possessions.^{(AE) 15} You, however, will go to your ancestors^(AF) in peace and be buried at a good old age.^{(AG) 16} In the fourth generation^(AH) your descendants will come back here,^(AI) for the sin of the Amorites^(AJ) has not yet reached its full measure.”

¹⁷ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch^(AK) appeared and passed between the pieces.^{(AL) 18} On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram^(AM) and said, “To your descendants I give this land,^(AN) from the Wadi^[e] of Egypt^(AO) to the great river, the Euphrates^(AP)— ¹⁹ the land of the Kenites,^(AQ) Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites,^(AR) Perizzites,^(AS) Rephaites,^{(AT) 21} Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”^(AU)

Faith or Works of the Law

3 You foolish^(A) Galatians!^(B) Who has bewitched you?^(C) Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.^{(D) 2} I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit^(E) by the works of the law,^(F) or by believing what you heard?^{(G) 3} Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?^{[a] 4} Have you experienced^[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles^(H) among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?^{(I) 6} So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[c](J)

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith^(K) are children of Abraham.^{(L) 8} Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^{[d](M) 9} So those who rely on faith^(N) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.^(O)

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law^(P) are under a curse,^(Q) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^{[e](R) 11} Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God,^(S) because “the righteous will live by faith.”^{[f](T) 12} The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”^{[g](U) 13} Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law^(V) by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”^{[h](W) 14} He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,^(X) so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.^(Y)

The Law and the Promise

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters,^(Z) let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(AA) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[i](AB) meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years^(AC) later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise;^(AD) but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions^(AE) until the Seed^(AF) to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels^(AG) and entrusted to a mediator.^{(AH) 20} A mediator,^(AI) however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!^(AJ) For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.^{(AK) 22} But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin,^(AL) so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[j] we were held in custody^(AM) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(AN) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(AO) that we might be justified by faith.^{(AP) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(AQ)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(AR) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(AS) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(AT) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(AU) nor is there male and female,^(AV) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^{(AW) 29} If you belong to Christ,^(AX) then you are Abraham’s seed,^(AY) and heirs^(AZ) according to the promise.^(BA)