Genesis 13

Abram and Lot Separate

1 Abram left Egypt with his wife, Lot, and all his stuff, heading back to the Negev.

2 Abram was loaded, he had mad livestock, silver, and gold.

3 He traveled from the Negev back to Bethel, to the spot where he first pitched his tent, between Bethel and Ai.

4 That is where he built an altar before, and he called on the name of the Lord there again.

5 Now Lot, who was rolling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents.

6 But the land could not handle both of their crews living together, it was too much livestock for the land to support.

7 Arguments started breaking out between Abram’s herders and Lot’s herders. Plus, the Canaanites and Perizzites were already living in the land.

8 Abram said to Lot, ‘Listen, we are family. Let us not beef, your herders and mine need to chill.’

9 ‘Look, the whole land is in front of you. You pick a direction, and I will go the other way. If you go left, I will go right; if you go right, I will go left.’

10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley was lush and green, like the garden of the Lord or Egypt, before God wrecked Sodom and Gomorrah.

11 Lot picked the entire Jordan Valley for himself and headed east. They split up and went their separate ways.

12 Abram stayed in Canaan, while Lot set up camp near the cities of the valley, pitching his tent close to Sodom.

13 But the people of Sodom, Straight-up wicked and wild, sinning like crazy against the Lord.

God’s Promise to Abram

14 After Lot dipped, the Lord said to Abram, ‘Look around from where you are, north, south, east, and west.’

15 ‘I am giving all the land you see to you and your descendants forever.’

16 ‘I am going to make your descendants like the dust of the earth. If anyone can count the dust, then they will be able to count your descendants.’

17 ‘Go walk through the land, everywhere you step, it is yours.’

18 So Abram moved his tents and settled by the great trees of Mamre at Hebron. He built an altar there to worship the Lord.