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

2 and Abram [is] exceedingly wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Abram was very rich. He owned a lot of livestock, 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—

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 made there at the first, and there Abram preaches in the Name of YHWH.

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

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 flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle, 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;

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 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.

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 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, “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 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.”

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

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 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 and the men of Sodom [are] evil, and sinners before YHWH exceedingly.

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

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 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 the whole of the land which you are seeing, I give it to you and to your Seed for all time.

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

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 rise, go up and down through the land, to its length, and to its breadth, for to you I give it.”

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