Genesis 13

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

So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev—he and his wife and all his possessions—and Lot was with him.

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

And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.

3 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,

From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,

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

to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

5 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle, and tents.

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

6 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.

But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.

7 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.

And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.

8 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.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.

9 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.”

Is not the whole land before you? Now separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

10 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.]

And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

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

So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.

12 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].

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

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

But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

14 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.

After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,

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

for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.

16 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].

I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

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

Get up and walk around the land, through its length and breadth, for I will give it to you.”

18 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.

So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the Oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.