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 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, in silver, and in gold.

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

3 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;

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 unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first; and Abram called there on the name of the LORD.

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

5 And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, 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 able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell 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 Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in 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 unto Lot: 'Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy 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 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 take the right hand, then 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 lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.

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 So Lot chose him all the plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves the one from the other.

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

12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as 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 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the LORD exceedingly.

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

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him: 'Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

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 thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy 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 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.

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, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.'

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

18 And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built there an altar unto 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.