Abram and Lot Part Ways

1And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had—and Lot with him—to the Negev. 2And Abram was very rich in the livestock, in the silver, and in the gold.

3And he went on his journey from the Negev, and even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and between Ai, 4to the place of the altar that he had made there at the first. And there Abram called on the name of YHWH.

5And also Lot, who went with Abram, had a flock and a herd, and tents. 6And the land was not able to support them to dwell together, for their possessions were great, and they were not able to dwell together. 7And there was strife between the shepherds of livestock of Abram and between the shepherds of livestock of Lot. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land.

8And Abram said to Lot, “Please let there not be strife between me and between you, and between my shepherds and between your shepherds, for we are men—brothers. 9Is not all the land before you? Separate, please, from me—if to the left, then I will go to the right; and if to the right, then I will go to the left.”

Lot Proceeds toward Sodom

10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and he saw all the plain of the Jordan, for all of it was well watered (before YHWH destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of YHWH, like the land of Egypt, as you go toward Zoar. 11And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed toward the east. And they separated, a man from his brother.

12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13And the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly sinful before YHWH.

God Renews the Promise to Abram

14And YHWH said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are—northward and southward and eastward and westward. 15For all the land that you are seeing, I give to you and to your seed unto eternity.†

16And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man is able to number the dust of the earth, then also your seed could be numbered. 17Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for to you I give it.”

18And Abram moved his tent, and he went and dwelt by the Oaks† of Mamre which are in Hebron, and he built there an altar to YHWH.