Genesis 13

1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the wilderness.

So Abram and Sarai left Egypt, and they took along all his possessions, and Lot went with them to the Negev [Desert].

2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, and silver, and gold.

Abram was very rich. He owned a lot of livestock, silver and gold.

3 And he went [to the place] whence he came, into the wilderness as far as Baethel, as far as the place where his tent was before, between Baethel and Aggai,

They continued traveling from place to place from the Negev [Desert] toward Bethel [town] to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had previously set up their tents,

4 to the place of the altar, which he built there at first, and Abram there called on the name of the Lord.

and where Abram had made a stone altar and worshiped Yahweh.

5 And Lot who went out with Abram had sheep, and oxen, and tents.

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle, and tents.

6 And the land was not large enough for them to live together, because their possessions were great; and the land was not large enough for them to live together.

But they had so many animals that they could not all stay in the same area. There was not enough land to provide water and food for all their animals.

7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of Lot's cattle, and the Chananites and the Pherezites then inhabited the land.

Furthermore, the descendants of Canaan and Perizzi were also living in that area, and the land really belonged to them. And the men who took care of Abram’s animals started quarreling with the men who took care of Lot’s animals.

8 And Abram said to Lot, Let there not be a strife between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen, for we are brethren.

So Abram said to Lot, “Since we are close relatives, it is not good for us two to quarrel, or for the men who take care of your animals to quarrel with the men who take care of my animals.

9 Behold! is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me; if you [go] to the left, I will go to the right, and if you go to the right, I will go to the left.

There is plenty of land for both of us. So we should separate. You can choose whatever part you want [RHQ]. If you want the area over there, I will stay here. If you want the area here, I will go over there.”

10 And Lot having lifted up his eyes, observed all the country round about Jordan, that it was all watered, before God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha, as the garden of the Lord, and as the land of Egypt, until you come to Zogora.

Lot looked around toward Zoar [town], and saw that there was plenty of water all over the plain near the Jordan [River]. It was like the park/garden in Eden, and like the land in Egypt. [That was before Yahweh destroyed [the cities of] Sodom and Gomorrah which were on that plain.]

11 And Lot chose for himself all the country round Jordan, and Lot went from the east, and they were separated each from his brother. And Abram lived in the land of Chanaan.

So Lot chose the land in the plain of the Jordan [River]. He left his uncle, Abram, and moved east.

12 And Lot lived in a city of the neighbouring people, and pitched his tent in Sodom.

Abram stayed in the Canaan area, and Lot started to live near the cities in the plain of the Jordan [River], and he set up his tents near Sodom [city].

13 But the men of Sodom were evil, and exceedingly sinful before God.

[You need to know that] people who lived there were extremely wicked.

14 And God said to Abram after Lot was separated from him, Look up with your eyes, and behold from the place where you now are northward and southward, and eastward and seaward;

After Abram and Lot separated, Yahweh said to Abram, “Look around at this whole area where you are. Look north and south, look east and west.

15 for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your seed for ever.

I will give to you and your descendants all the land that you see; I will give it to you forever.

16 And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth; if any one is able to number the dust of the earth, then shall your seed be numbered.

I will cause your descendants to be as numerous as particles of dust! [It will be easier] to count the particles of dust than it will be to count your descendants [HYP].

17 Arise and traverse the land, both in the length of it and in the breadth; for to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever.

Walk through the land in every direction, because I am going to give it all to you.”

18 And Abram having removed his tent, came and lived by the oak of Mambre, which was in Chebrom, and he there built an altar to the Lord.

So Abram [and his men] took down their tents and moved to Hebron and started to live by the huge trees [at the town] Mamre. He placed a stone altar there to [make sacrifices to] Yahweh.