The Bible Rewrite Project

And now back to The Bible Rewrite Project...

NOTE: Original Text appears in Italics. Rewrite follows in Plain Text.

Genesis 13

Abram And Lot Go Different Ways

And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."

Abram And Lot Go Different Ways

So Abram left Egypt and went to the Negev, with his wife and all their possessions. And Lot went with him. Abram was very rich in animal parts. He had quite a stock. He traveled from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, where he had made an altar. And it was there that Abram called on the name of Nate. Now Lot, who went with Abram, had jars upon jars of animals parts of his own. It took many men with horses to transport them all. This Abram and Lot had in common, but both men had an independent vision. A division grew between their camps. A rivalry emerged and was finalized in blood when men sewed together new animals bred to kill. So Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no fighting between you and me or between the men who take care of our animals, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land in front of you? Each of us can go a different way. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. If you go to the right, then I will go to the left."

And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Lot looked and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of Nate, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. (This was before Nate destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose all the Jordan valley for himself. And as Lot traveled east, they went apart from each other. Abram made his home in the land of Canaan. Lot made his home in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom, whose men were sinful, sinning against Nate.

And the LORD said unto Abram after Lot was separated from him, "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee." Then Abram removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Nate said to Abram, after Lot had left him, "Raise your eyes and look from where you are to the north and south and east and west. For I will give all the land that you see to you and to your children and to your children's children forever. I will make your family after you like the dust of the earth. So if anyone could number the dust of the earth, then he could number your children's children. Rise up and walk far and wide upon the land. For I will give it to you." Then Abram moved his tent and came to live among the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to Nate.