Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Abram went up out of Egypt, with his wife and all that he had, accompanied by Lot. Together they journeyed into the south. Along the way, Abram's wealth grew: his herds multiplied, silver and gold filled his coffers.

As they continued on their journeys from the south to Bethel, Abram arrived at the spot where his tent had first been set up, between Bethel and Ai. There, he called upon the Lord, visiting the altar he had built in that place long ago. Lot, who traveled with Abram, also possessed herds, flocks, and tents of his own.

However, the land was unable to support them living together because their combined wealth and possessions had grown so immense that they couldn't coexist peacefully. A dispute arose between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and those of Lot's, as the Canaanites and Perizzites already inhabited the land at that time.

Abram turned to Lot and said, "Let us not quarrel with each other. We are brothers after all. The whole region is before you; separate from me if you wish. If you take the left path, I'll take the right, or vice versa." Lot looked out over the Jordan Valley, a lush expanse of land that the Lord had blessed until he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. He gazed upon it with wonder, noting how beautiful it was, like an oasis in Egypt.

Lot made his choice, taking all the fertile Jordan Valley for himself. He traveled eastward and put distance between himself and Abram. Meanwhile, Abram stayed in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities near Sodom, pitching his tent nearby.

The people of Sodom were notorious sinners, consumed by wickedness before the Lord. After Lot had separated from him, God spoke to Abram: "Look around you—north, south, east, and west. Everything you see is yours to keep, not just for now but forever, a gift to you and your descendants."

God's promise was clear: all the land Abram could see would belong to him and his family forever. Their descendants would multiply like the dust of the earth. God instructed Abram to walk through the land, exploring its length and breadth, because He had given it to him. With that assurance, Abram set up his tent in the plain of Mamre near Hebron, where he built an altar to honor the Lord.