< 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].
וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְלוֹט עִמּוֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃
2 Abram was very rich. He owned a lot of livestock, silver and gold.
וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃
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,
וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵל עַד־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה שָׁם אׇֽהֳלֹה בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּֽית־אֵל וּבֵין הָעָֽי׃
4 and where Abram had made a stone altar and worshiped Yahweh.
אֶל־מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָֽה׃
5 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle, and tents.
וְגַם־לְלוֹט הַהֹלֵךְ אֶת־אַבְרָם הָיָה צֹאן־וּבָקָר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃
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.
וְלֹא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם הָאָרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּו כִּֽי־הָיָה רְכוּשָׁם רָב וְלֹא יָֽכְלוּ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃
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.
וַֽיְהִי־רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־לוֹט וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יֹשֵׁב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
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.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־לוֹט אַל־נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וּבֵין רֹעַי וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
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.”
הֲלֹא כׇל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ הִפָּרֶד נָא מֵעָלָי אִם־הַשְּׂמֹאל וְאֵימִנָה וְאִם־הַיָּמִין וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה׃
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.]
וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹט אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־כׇּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה לִפְנֵי ׀ שַׁחֵת יְהֹוָה אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה צֹֽעַר׃
11 So Lot chose the land in the plain of the Jordan [River]. He left his uncle, Abram, and moved east.
וַיִּבְחַר־לוֹ לוֹט אֵת כׇּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּפָּרְדוּ אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִֽיו׃
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].
אַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָעַן וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃
13 [You need to know that] people who lived there were extremely wicked.
וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיהֹוָה מְאֹֽד׃
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.
וַֽיהֹוָה אָמַר אֶל־אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּֽרֶד־לוֹט מֵֽעִמּוֹ שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָֽמָּה׃
15 I will give to you and your descendants all the land that you see; I will give it to you forever.
כִּי אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
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].
וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ׀ אִם־יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת־עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ יִמָּנֶֽה׃
17 Walk through the land in every direction, because I am going to give it all to you.”
קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאׇרְכָּהּ וּלְרׇחְבָּהּ כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃
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.
וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃

< Genesis 13 >