< Genesis 13 >
1 So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev—he and his wife and all his possessions—and Lot was with him.
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,
And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and 'Ai;
4 to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and Abram called there on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6 But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.
And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7 And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
And there arose a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are near relatives.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself 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.”
Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right, then I will go to the left.
10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [it was] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, till thou comest unto Zoar.
11 So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.
Then Lot chose himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan; and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tents, till close to Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
14 After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,
And the Lord said unto Abram, after Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thy eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward;
15 for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.
16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
Then Abram pitched his tent, and came and dwelt in the grove of Mamre, which is in Hebron; and he built there an altar unto the Lord.