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 left Egypt and went back into the Negev along with Sarai, Lot, and everyone with them, as well as all their possessions.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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 don't let's have arguments between us, or between our herdsmen, because we're family.

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.”

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 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.]

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 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 Jordan valley and went east, and the two separated from each other.

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

(The people of Sodom were very wicked, committing terrible sins that offended 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 separating from Lot, the Lord told Abram, “Look around you from where you're standing, to the north, south, 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.

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

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

Go and walk through the whole land in all directions because I'm giving 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 went to live at Hebron, setting up his tents among the oaks at Mamre, where he built an altar to the Lord.