Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

¹Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev ^a #— #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. ^b

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, ^{c 7}and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. ^d (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.) ^e

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 ^f of the Jordan ^g as far as Zoar ^h was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden ⁱ and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ^{j 11}So 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 ^k against the Lord.) ^l

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, ^{m 15}for I will give you and your offspring ⁿ forever all the land that you see. ^{o 16}I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, ^p 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, ^q where he built an altar to the Lord.