Abram se fixe au pays de Canaan

13 Abram quitta donc l’Egypte avec sa femme et tout ce qu’il possédait en direction du Néguev. Loth était avec lui. Abram était très riche en troupeaux, en argent et en or. D’étape en étape, il retourna du Néguev jusqu’à Béthel, au lieu où il avait auparavant établi son campement, entre Béthel et Aï, c’est-à-dire à l’endroit où était l’autel qu’il avait précédemment érigé, et il y pria l’Eternel.

Loth, qui accompagnait Abram, avait aussi des moutons, des chèvres, des bovins et des tentes, et le pays ne suffisait pas pour qu’ils puissent demeurer ensemble, car leurs troupeaux étaient trop nombreux, ils ne pouvaient pas rester ensemble. Il y eut une dispute entre les bergers d’Abram et ceux de Loth ; or les Cananéens et les Phéréziens[a] habitaient alors le pays. Abram dit à Loth : Nous sommes de la même famille. Qu’il n’y ait donc pas de dispute entre nous, entre mes bergers et les tiens. Séparons-nous plutôt. Tout le pays est à ta disposition. Si tu vas à gauche, j’irai à droite, et si tu vas à droite, j’irai à gauche.

10 Loth regarda et vit toute la plaine du Jourdain qui s’étendait jusqu’à Tsoar : avant que l’Eternel eût détruit Sodome et Gomorrhe[b], elle était comme le jardin de l’Eternel, comme la terre d’Egypte. 11 Loth choisit donc pour lui toute la plaine du Jourdain et il se dirigea vers l’est. Ainsi, ils se séparèrent l’un de l’autre. 12 Abram se fixa dans le pays de Canaan, et Loth s’établit au milieu des villes de la plaine, dressant ses tentes jusqu’à Sodome. 13 Or, les gens de Sodome étaient mauvais, ils commettaient beaucoup de péchés contre l’Eternel.

Abram parcourt le pays promis

14 L’Eternel dit à Abram après que Loth se fut séparé de lui : Lève les yeux et regarde depuis l’endroit où tu es, vers le nord, le sud, l’est et l’ouest : 15 tout le pays que tu vois, je te le donnerai, à toi et à ta descendance pour toujours. 16 Je rendrai ta descendance aussi nombreuse que les grains de poussière de la terre ; si l’on peut compter les grains de poussière de la terre, alors on pourra aussi compter ta descendance. 17 Lève-toi, parcours le pays en long et en large car je te le donnerai.

18 Alors Abram déplaça son campement et vint se fixer près des chênes de Mamré aux environs d’Hébron[c], et il bâtit là un autel à l’Eternel.

Footnotes

  1. 13.7 Faisaient partie des populations primitives de ce qui deviendra le pays d’Israël.
  2. 13.10 Voir chap. 18 et 19.
  3. 13.18 L’une des plus anciennes villes du Moyen-Orient (Nb 13.22), à 35 kilomètres au sud-ouest de Jérusalem.

Abram and Lot Part Ways

13 Abram traveled from Egypt, along with his wife and everyone who belonged to his household[a]—including Lot—to the Negev.[b]

Now Abram had become quite wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold. He journeyed by stages from the Negev[c] to Bethel, the place where his tent had formerly been, between Bethel and Ai, where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep, herds, and tents. But the land could not support them living together, because they had so many livestock that they could not stay together. There was strife between the herdsmen in charge of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen in charge of Lot’s livestock. Also, at that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.

So Abram told Lot, “Please, let’s not have strife between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.[d] Isn’t the whole land available to you? Let’s separate: If you go[e] to the left, then I will go to the right; if you go[f] to the right, then I will go to the left.”

10 Lot looked around and noticed that the whole Jordan plain as far as Zoar was well-watered like the garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan plain. Then Lot traveled eastward, and they separated from each other.

12 So Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the plain, setting up his tent in the vicinity of Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were particularly evil and sinful in their defiance of[g] the Lord.

14 After Lot had separated from Abram, the Lord told Abram, “Look off to the north, south[h], east, and west[i] from where you’re living, 15 because I’m going to give you and your descendants all of the land that you see—forever! 16 I’ll make your descendants as plentiful as[j] the specks of[k] dust of the earth, so that if one could count the specks of[l] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted. 17 Get up! Walk throughout the length and breadth of the land, because I’m going to give it to you.”

18 So Abram moved his tent and settled beside the oaks of Mamre that are by Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 13:1 Lit. who pertained to him
  2. Genesis 13:1 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
  3. Genesis 13:3 I.e. the southern region of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
  4. Genesis 13:8 Lit. brothers
  5. Genesis 13:9 The Heb. lacks you go
  6. Genesis 13:9 The Heb. lacks you go
  7. Genesis 13:13 Lit. sinful before
  8. Genesis 13:14 Lit. the Negev
  9. Genesis 13:14 Lit. the sea
  10. Genesis 13:16 The Heb. lacks plentiful as
  11. Genesis 13:16 The Heb. lacks the specks of
  12. Genesis 13:16 The Heb. lacks the specks of

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. He 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, to the place where he had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them living together; for their possessions were so great that they could not live together, and 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.

Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. Is 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.’ 10 Lot 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. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastwards; thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northwards and southwards and eastwards and westwards; 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring[a] for ever. 16 I 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. 17 Rise up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.’ 18 So Abram moved his tent, and came and settled by the oaks[b] of Mamre, which are at Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 13:15 Heb seed
  2. Genesis 13:18 Or terebinths