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 south.

So Abram left Egypt and went back into the Negev along with Sarai, Lot, and everyone with them, as well as all their possessions.

2 And he was very rich in possession of gold and silver.

Abram was very rich, having many herds of livestock and a great deal of silver and gold.

3 And he returned by the way that he came, from the south to Bethel, to the place where before he had pitched his tent between Bethel and Hai:

He left the Negev and traveled in stages to Bethel, back to the place where he'd camped before, between Bethel and Ai.

4 In the place of the altar which he had made before; and there he called upon the name of the Lord.

This was where he'd first built an altar. He worshiped the Lord there as he had done previously.

5 But Lot also, who was with Abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds of beasts, and tents.

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had many flocks, herds, and tents,

6 Neither was the land able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell together.

so much so that the available land couldn't support both of them—they had so much livestock they couldn't stay together anymore.

7 Whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram and of Lot. And at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite dwelled in that country.

Abram's and Lot's herdsmen were arguing, and in addition the Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8 Abram therefore said to Lot: Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for we are brethren.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please don't let's have arguments between us, or between our herdsmen, because we're family.

9 Behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me I pray thee: if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right: if thou choose the right hand, I will pass to the left.

You see all this land that's available right in front of you? We have to split up. If you choose to go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you choose to go to the right, I'll go to the left.”

10 And Lot, lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the Jordan, which was watered throughout, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, as the paradise of the Lord, and like Egypt as one comes to Segor.

Lot looked over the whole Jordan valley towards Zoar, and saw that it was well-watered, looking like the Garden of Eden, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

11 And Lot chose to himself the country about the Jordan, and he departed from the east: and they were separated one brother from the other.

So Lot chose the whole Jordan valley and went east, and the two separated from each other.

12 Abram dwelt in the land of Chanaan; and Lot abode in the towns that were about the Jordan, and dwelt in Sodom.

Abram went to live in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled down among the towns in the valley, setting up his tents near Sodom.

13 And the men of Sodom were very wicked, and sinners before the face of the Lord, beyond measure.

(The people of Sodom were very wicked, committing terrible sins that offended the Lord.)

14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him: Lift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west.

After separating from Lot, the Lord told Abram, “Look around you from where you're standing, to the north, south, east, and west.

15 All the land which thou seest, I will give to thee, and to thy seed for ever.

I'm giving all this land you see to you and your descendants forever.

16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy seed also.

You will have so many descendants that they'll be like the dust of the earth. If anyone could count dust then they could count the number of your descendants!

17 Arise and walk through the land in the length, and in the breadth thereof: for I will give it to thee.

Go and walk through the whole land in all directions because I'm giving it to you.”

18 So Abram removing his tent came and dwelt by the vale of Mambre, which is in Hebron: and he built there an altar to the Lord.

So Abram went to live at Hebron, setting up his tents among the oaks at Mamre, where he built an altar to the Lord.