בראשית 13

1 וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְלוֹט עִמּוֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה׃

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

2 וְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב׃

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

3 וַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד־בֵּֽית־אֵל עַד־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה שָׁם אהלה אֽ͏ָהֳלוֹ בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּֽית־אֵל וּבֵין הָעָֽי׃

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 אֶל־מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְהוָֽה׃

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

5 וְגַם־לְלוֹט הַהֹלֵךְ אֶת־אַבְרָם הָיָה צֹאן־וּבָקָר וְאֹהָלִֽים׃

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

6 וְלֹא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם הָאָרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּו כִּֽי־הָיָה רְכוּשָׁם רָב וְלֹא יָֽכְלוּ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּֽו׃

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 וֽ͏ַיְהִי־רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵֽה־אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־לוֹט וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יֹשֵׁב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־לוֹט אַל־נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ וּבֵין רֹעַי וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃

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 הֲלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ הִפָּרֶד נָא מֵעָלָי אִם־הַשְּׂמֹאל וְאֵימִנָה וְאִם־הַיָּמִין וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה׃

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 וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹט אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה לִפְנֵי ׀ שַׁחֵת יְהוָה אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן־יְהוָה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה צֹֽעַר׃

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 וַיִּבְחַר־לוֹ לוֹט אֵת כָּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּפָּרְדוּ אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִֽיו׃

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

12 אַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־כְּנָעַן וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד־סְדֹֽם׃

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 וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיהוָה מְאֹֽד׃

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

14 וֽ͏ַיהוָה אָמַר אֶל־אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּֽרֶד־לוֹט מֽ͏ֵעִמּוֹ שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָֽמָּה׃

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 כִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

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

16 וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ׀ אִם־יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת־עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ גַּֽם־זַרְעֲךָ יִמָּנֶֽה׃

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 קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאָרְכָּהּ וּלְרָחְבָּהּ כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃

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

18 וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לֽ͏ַיהוָֽה׃

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.