Genesis 13

reviewed Worded for an eighth-grade reader; the reading is the Translation's. Read the Translation with its notes.

1 Abram went up from Egypt toward the Negev, with his wife and everything he had. Lot went with him. 2 Abram was very heavy with livestock, silver and gold. 3 He traveled in stages from the Negev to Bethel. He came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been at the start, 4 to the place of the altar he had made there at first. There Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds and tents. 6 The land could not carry them both while they lived together. Their wealth was so great that they could not live together. 7 A quarrel broke out between the shepherds of Abram's livestock and the shepherds of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land. 8 Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there be no quarreling between you and me. Let there be none between my shepherds and yours. We are men, and we are brothers.

9 Isn't the whole land in front of you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, I will go to the right. If you take the right, I will go to the left." 10 Lot looked up and saw the whole circle of the Jordan. All of it was well watered, like the garden of the LORD. It was like the land of Egypt, on the way to Zoar. This was before the LORD ruined Sodom and Gomorrah. 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole circle of the Jordan. Lot broke camp from the east, and the two men separated from each other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan. Lot lived in the cities of the circle, and he moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were bad and sinners against the LORD, exceedingly so. 14 After Lot had separated from him, the LORD said to Abram, "Please look up. From the place where you are, look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the land. If anyone could count the dust of the land, your offspring could be counted too.

17 Get up and walk through the land, its length and its breadth, because I will give it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tent and came to live by the terebinths of Mamre, which are at Hebron. There he built an altar to the LORD.