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Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt to (A)the [a]Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.

Now Abram was (B)very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. And he went [b]on his journeys from the [c]Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, (C)between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the (D)altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called upon the name of Yahweh.

Now (E)Lot, who was going with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And (F)the land could not [d]sustain them [e]while living together, (G)for their possessions were so abundant that they were not able to live together. (H)And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now (I)the Canaanite and the Perizzite were living then in the land.

(J)So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” 10 Then Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the [f](K)valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before Yahweh (L)destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like (M)the garden of Yahweh, (N)like the land of Egypt as you go to (O)Zoar. 11 So Lot chose for himself all the [g]valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived in (P)the cities of the [h]valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 13 Now (Q)the men of Sodom were evil and (R)sinners, exceedingly so, against Yahweh.

14 And Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “(S)Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, (T)northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15 (U)for all the land which you see, (V)I will give it to you and to your seed forever. 16 And I will make your seed (W)as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your seed can also be numbered. 17 Arise, (X)walk about the land through its length and breadth; for (Y)I will give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the [i](Z)oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built (AA)an altar to Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 13:1 South country
  2. Genesis 13:3 Lit by his stages
  3. Genesis 13:3 South country
  4. Genesis 13:6 Lit bear
  5. Genesis 13:6 Lit to dwell
  6. Genesis 13:10 Lit circle
  7. Genesis 13:11 Lit circle
  8. Genesis 13:12 Lit circle
  9. Genesis 13:18 Or terebinths

Abram and Lot Separate

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

Lot also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and servants. And so there was not enough pasture land for the two of them to stay together, because they had too many animals. So 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.)

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

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

Abram Moves to Hebron

14 After Lot had left, the Lord said to Abram, “From where you are, look carefully in all directions. 15 (B)I am going to give you and your descendants all the land that you see, and it will be yours forever. 16 I 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! 17 Now, go and look over the whole land, because I am going to give it all to you.” 18 So Abram moved his camp and settled near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 13:10 A reference to the Garden of Eden.