Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 33

Praise to the Creator

Abram and Lot Separate

13 Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev^(A)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. ² Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. ³ He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, ⁴ to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.^(B)

⁵ Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. ⁶ But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,^{(C) 7} and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.^(D) (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)^(E)

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives. ⁹ Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

¹⁰ Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain^[a] of the Jordan^(F) as far as Zoar^(G) was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden^(H) and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)^{(I) 11} So Lot chose the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom. ¹³ (Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely^[b] against the Lord.)^(J)

¹⁴ After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,^{(K) 15} for I will give you and your offspring^[c] forever all the land that you see.^{(L) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,^(M) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”

¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,^(N) where he built an altar to the Lord.

¹⁷ These people are springs without water, mists driven by a storm. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.^{(A) 18} For by uttering boastful, empty words,^(B) they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped^[a] from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.^{(C) 20} For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord^[b] and Savior Jesus Christ,^(D) they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.^{(E) 21} For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness^(F) than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command^(G) delivered^(H) to them.^{(I) 22} It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit,^[c](J) and, “A washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.”