Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev Desert. He took his wife and everything he had. Lot went with him. 2Abram had become very rich. He had a lot of livestock and silver and gold.

3Abram left the Negev Desert. He went from place to place until he came to Bethel. Then he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier. 4There he called on the name of the Lord at the altar he had built.

5Lot was moving around with Abram. Lot also had flocks and herds and tents. 6But the land didn’t have enough food for both Abram and Lot. They had large herds and many servants, so they weren’t able to stay together. 7The people who took care of Abram’s herds and those who took care of Lot’s herds began to argue. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

8So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not argue with each other. The people taking care of your herds and those taking care of mine shouldn’t argue with one another either. After all, we’re part of the same family. 9Isn’t the whole land in front of you? Let’s separate. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right. If you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

10Lot looked around. He saw that the whole Jordan River valley toward the town of Zoar had plenty of water. It was like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan River valley for himself. Then he started out toward the east. The two men separated. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan. Lot lived among the cities of the Jordan River valley. He set up his tents near Sodom. 13The people of Sodom were evil. They were sinning greatly against the Lord.

14The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had left him. He said, “Look around from where you are. Look north and south, east and west. 15I will give you all the land you see. I will give it forever to you and your family who comes after you. 16I will make them like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? If it can, then your family can be counted. 17Go! Walk through the land. See how long and wide it is. I am giving it to you.”

18So Abram went to live near the large trees of Mamre at Hebron. There he pitched his tents and built an altar to honor the Lord.

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Bereshis 13

1And Avram went up out of Mitzrayim, he, and his isha, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negev.

2And Avram was very rich in cattle, in kesef, and in zahav.

3And he went on his journeys from the Negev even to Beit-El, unto the makom where his ohel had been at the beginning, between Beit-El and Ai;

4Unto the makom of the Mizbe'ach, which he had built there at the first; and there Avram called on the Shem of Hashem.

5And Lot also, which walked with Avram, had tzon, and herds, and ohalim.

6And ha'aretz was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their rechush was rav, so that they could not dwell together.

7And there was a riv between the ro'im of the herd of Avram and the ro'im of the herd of Lot; and the Kena'ani and the Perizzi dwelt then in ha'aretz.

8And Avram said unto Lot, Let there be no merivah now between me and thee, and between my ro'im and thy ro'im; for we are achim.

9Is not the kol ha'aretz before thee? Separate thyself, now, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Yarden, that it was well watered everywhere, before Hashem destroyed Sodom and Amora, even as the Gan Hashem, like Eretz Mitzrayim, as you go to Tzoar.

11Then Lot chose for him all the plain of Yarden; and Lot journeyed mikedem (east); and they separated themselves the one from his brother.

12Avram dwelled in Eretz Kena'an, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his ohel toward Sodom.

13But the men of Sodom were ra'im and chatta'im before Hashem exceedingly.

14And Hashem said unto Avram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the makom where thou art northward, and southward and eastward, and westward:

15For kol ha'aretz which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy zera ad olam (forever).

16And I will make thy zera as the dust of ha'aretz; so that if a man can number the aphar of ha'aretz, then shall thy zera also be numbered.

17Arise, walk through ha'aretz in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

18Then Avram moved his ohel, and came and dwelt in Elonei Mamre, which is in Chevron, and built there a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem.

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