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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.

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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 up from Egypt toward the arid southern plain with his wife, with everything he had, and with Lot. Abram was very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold. Abram traveled, making and breaking camp, from the arid southern plain to Bethel and to the sacred place there, where he had first pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai, that is, to the place at which he had earlier built the altar. There he worshipped in the Lord’s name. Now Lot, who traveled with Abram, also had flocks, cattle, and tents. They had so many possessions between them that the land couldn’t support both of them. They could no longer live together. Conflicts broke out between those herding Abram’s livestock and those herding Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land.

Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have disputes between me and you and between our herders since we are relatives. Isn’t the whole land in front of you? Let’s separate. If you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north.” 10 Lot looked up and saw the entire Jordan Valley. All of it was well irrigated, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as far as Zoar (this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah). 11 So Lot chose for himself the entire Jordan Valley. Lot set out toward the east, and they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled near the cities of the valley and pitched his tent close to Sodom. 13 The citizens of Sodom were very evil and sinful against the Lord.

14 After Lot separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “From the place where you are standing, look up and gaze to the north, south, east, and west, 15 because all the land that you see I give you and your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth. If someone could count the bits of dust on the earth, then they could also count your descendants. 17 Stand up and walk around through the length and breadth of the land because I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram packed his tent and went and settled by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord.

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