Genesis 13

Abram Inherits Canaan

1Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and #Gen. 12:4; 14:12, 16Lot with him, #Gen. 12:9to the South. 2#Gen. 24:35; 26:14; Ps. 112:3; Prov. 10:22Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3And he went on his journey #Gen. 12:8, 9from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the #Gen. 12:7, 8; 21:33place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram #Ps. 116:17called on the name of the Lord.

5Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6Now #Gen. 36:7the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7And there was #Gen. 26:20strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. #Gen. 12:6; 15:20, 21The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.

8So Abram said to Lot, #1 Cor. 6:7; (Phil. 2:14, 15)“Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9#Gen. 20:15; 34:10Is not the whole land before you? Please #Gen. 13:11, 14separate from me. #(Rom. 12:18)If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

10And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all #Gen. 19:17–29; Deut. 34:3the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord #Gen. 19:24destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) #Gen. 2:8, 10; Is. 51:3like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward #Gen. 14:2, 8; 19:22; Deut. 34:3Zoar. 11Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot #Gen. 19:24, 25, 29dwelt in the cities of the plain and #Gen. 14:12; 19:1pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13But the men of Sodom #Gen. 18:20, 21; Ezek. 16:49; 2 Pet. 2:7, 8were exceedingly wicked and #Gen. 6:11; 39:9; Num. 32:23sinful against the Lord.

14And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot #Gen. 13:11had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—#Gen. 28:14northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15for all the land which you see #Gen. 12:7; 13:17; 15:7, 18; 17:8; Deut. 34:4; Acts 7:5I give to you and #2 Chr. 20:7; Ps. 37:22your descendants forever. 16And #Gen. 22:17; Ex. 32:13; Num. 23:10I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

18#Gen. 26:17Then Abram moved his tent, and went and #Gen. 14:13dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, #Gen. 23:2; 35:27which are in Hebron, and built an #Gen. 8:20; 22:8, 9altar there to the Lord.

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Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1Abram left Egypt with his wife and everything he had and went to the Negev. Lot was with him. 2Abram was very rich because he had livestock, silver, and gold. 3He traveled from place to place. He went from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the area between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been originally, 4where he had first made an altar. There Abram worshiped the Lord.

5Lot, who had been traveling with Abram, also had his own sheep, cattle, and tents. 6There wasn’t enough pastureland for both of them. They had so many possessions that they were unable to remain together. 7Quarrels broke out between Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders. (Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in that area.)

8Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have any more quarrels between us or between our herders. After all, we’re relatives. 9Isn’t all this land yours also? Let’s separate. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right, and if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” 10Then Lot looked in the direction of Zoar as far as he could see. He saw that the whole Jordan Plain was well-watered like the Lord’s garden or like Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

11Lot chose the whole Jordan Plain for himself. He moved toward the east. They each went their own way. 12Abram lived in Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain, moving his tents as far as Sodom. 13(The people who lived in Sodom were very wicked. They committed terrible sins against the Lord.)

The LORD’s Third Promise to Abram

14After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, “Look north, south, east, and west of where you are. 15I will give all the land you see to you and to your descendants for an indefinite period of time. 16I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants. 17Go! Walk back and forth across the entire land because I will give it to you.” 18So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oak trees belonging to Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar for the Lord.

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