Genesis 13
13
Abram and Lot
Abram and Lot separate
1Abram and Sarai took everything they owned and went to the Southern Desert. Lot went with them.
2Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold. 3Abram moved from place to place in the Southern Desert. And finally, he went north and set up his tents between Bethel and Ai, 4where he had earlier camped and built an altar. There he worshipped the LORD.
5Lot, who was travelling with him, also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and slaves. 6-7At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the same area, and so there wasn't enough pasture land left for Abram and Lot with all their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarrelling.
8Abram said to Lot, “We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another. 9There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north.”
10This happened before the LORD had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the LORD or the land of Egypt.#Gn 2.10. 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started towards the east, he and Abram separated. 12Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom, 13where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the LORD.
Abram moves to Hebron
14After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the LORD said to Abram:
Look around to the north, south, east, and west. 15I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs for ever!#Ac 7.5. 16I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and some day it will be easier to count the specks of dust than to count your descendants. 17Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am giving it to you.
18Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honour of the LORD.
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Genesis 13
13
Abram and Lot Separate
1Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev#Gn 12:9 — he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. 2Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. 3He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, 4to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.#Gn 12:7,8
5Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. 6But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,#Gn 36:7 7and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.#Gn 26:20 (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)#Gn 12:6; 15:20–21
8So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives. 9Isn’t the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”
10Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain#13:10 Lit circle; i.e., probably the large round plain where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea, also in v. 11 of the Jordan#Gn 19:17–29 as far as Zoar#Gn 14:2,8; Dt 34:3 was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden#Gn 2:8–10 and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)#Gn 19:24–25 11So Lot chose the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom. 13(Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely#13:13 Lit evil and sinful against the Lord.)#Gn 18:20; Ezk 16:49; 2Pt 2:7–8
14After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,#Gn 28:14 15for I will give you and your offspring#13:15 Lit seed forever all the land that you see.#Gn 12:7; 15:18; 17:8; 24:7; 26:4; 28:13; 35:12; Dt 34:4; 2Ch 20:7; Ac 7:5 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,#Gn 16:10; 28:14; Nm 23:10 so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.”
18So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,#Gn 14:13; 18:1; 23:17–19 where he built an altar to the Lord.
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers