Genesis 13
Living Bible
13 1-2 So they left Egypt and traveled north into the Negeb—Abram with his wife, and Lot, and all that they owned, for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. 3-4 Then they continued northward toward Bethel where he had camped before, between Bethel and Ai—to the place where he had built the altar. And there he again worshiped the Lord.
5 Lot too was very wealthy, with sheep and cattle and many servants.[a] 6 But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds. There were too many animals for the available pasture. 7 So fights broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot, despite the danger they all faced[b] from the tribes of Canaanites and Perizzites present in the land. 8 Then Abram talked it over with Lot. “This fighting between our men has got to stop,” he said. “We can’t afford to let a rift develop between our clans. Close relatives such as we are must present a united front! 9 I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want that part over there to the east, then I’ll stay here in the western section. Or, if you want the west, then I’ll go over there to the east.”
10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan River, well watered everywhere (this was before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah); the whole section was like the Garden of Eden,[c] or like the beautiful countryside around Zoar in Egypt. 11 So that is what Lot chose—the Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants, and thus he and Abram parted company. 12 For Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain, settling at a place near the city of Sodom. 13 The men of this area were unusually wicked, and sinned greatly against Jehovah.
14 After Lot was gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction, 15 for I am going to give it all to you and your descendants. 16 And I am going to give you so many descendants that, like dust, they can’t be counted! 17 Hike in all directions and explore the new possessions I am giving you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent to the oaks of Mamre, near Hebron, and built an altar to Jehovah there.
Footnotes
- Genesis 13:5 many servants, implied; literally, “many tents.”
- Genesis 13:7 despite the danger they all faced, implied.
- Genesis 13:10 Garden of Eden, literally, “Garden of Jehovah.”
Genesis 13
Tree of Life Version
13 So Abram went up from Egypt—he and his wife and everything that belonged to him, and Lot with him—to the Negev. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, silver and gold. 3 He 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, 4 to 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
5 Now Lot, who was going with Abram, also had sheep and cattle and tents, 6 so that the land could not support them living together, because their possessions were many, and they were not able to stay together. 7 So 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.)
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between me and you, or between my shepherds and yours, since we are relatives. 9 Isn’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.”
10 Lot 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. 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole area surrounding the Jordan. Lot journeyed to the east, and they separated from each other. 12 Abram 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. 13 But the people of Sodom were evil—very great sinners against Adonai.
14 After 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. 15 For all the land that you are looking at, I will give to you and to your seed forever. 16 I 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. 17 Get up! Walk about the land through its length and width—for I will give it to you.”
18 So 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.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.