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

Abram was very rich, having many herds of livestock and a great deal of 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;

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

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.

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

5 And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 depart to the right, then I will go 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 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.

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 Then Lot chose himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves the one 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 Canaan; and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tents, till close to 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 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

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

14 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;

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

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.

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; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

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

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

18 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.

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