Genesis 13

1 And Abram goes up from Egypt (he and his wife, and all that he has, and Lot with him) toward 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 [is] exceedingly wealthy in livestock, 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 goes on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the commencement, 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 to the place of the altar which he made there at the first, and there Abram preaches in the Name of YHWH.

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

5 And also to Lot, who is going with Abram, there has been sheep and oxen and tents;

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

6 and the land has not permitted them to dwell together, for their substance has been much, and they have not been able to 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 is a strife between those feeding Abram’s livestock and those feeding Lot’s livestock; and the Canaanite and the Perizzite [are] then dwelling 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 says to Lot, “Please let there not be strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we [are] men—brothers.

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 all the land before you? Please be parted from me; if to the left, then I to the right; and if to the right, then I 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 lifts up his eyes, and sees the whole circuit of the Jordan that it [is] all a watered country (before YHWH’s destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as YHWH’s garden, as the land of Egypt), in your coming toward 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 and Lot chooses for himself the whole circuit of the Jordan; and Lot journeys from the east, and they are parted—a man from his companion;

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

12 Abram has dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot has dwelt in the cities of the circuit, and moves [his] tent 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 and the men of Sodom [are] evil, and sinners before YHWH exceedingly.

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

14 And YHWH said to Abram, after Lot’s being parted from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you [are], 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 the whole of the land which you are seeing, I give it to you and to your Seed for all time.

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

16 And I have set your seed as dust of the earth, so that, if one is able to number the dust of the earth, even your seed is 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 rise, go up and down through the land, to its length, and to its breadth, for to you I give it.”

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

18 And Abram moves [his] tent, and comes, and dwells among the oaks of Mamre, which [are] in Hebron, and builds there an altar to YHWH.

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