Abram and Lot Separate
1Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev Desert. He took his wife and everything he had. Lot went with him. 2Abram had become very rich. He had a lot of livestock and silver and gold.
3Abram left the Negev Desert. He went from place to place until he came to Bethel. Then he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier. 4There he called on the name of the Lord at the altar he had built.
5Lot was moving around with Abram. Lot also had flocks and herds and tents. 6But the land didn’t have enough food for both Abram and Lot. They had large herds and many servants, so they weren’t able to stay together. 7The people who took care of Abram’s herds and those who took care of Lot’s herds began to argue. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not argue with each other. The people taking care of your herds and those taking care of mine shouldn’t argue with one another either. After all, we’re part of the same family. 9Isn’t the whole land in front of you? Let’s separate. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right. If you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10Lot looked around. He saw that the whole Jordan River valley toward the town of Zoar had plenty of water. It was like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 11So Lot chose the whole Jordan River valley for himself. Then he started out toward the east. The two men separated. 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan. Lot lived among the cities of the Jordan River valley. He set up his tents near Sodom. 13The people of Sodom were evil. They were sinning greatly against the Lord.
14The Lord spoke to Abram after Lot had left him. He said, “Look around from where you are. Look north and south, east and west. 15I will give you all the land you see. I will give it forever to you and your family who comes after you. 16I will make them like the dust of the earth. Can dust be counted? If it can, then your family can be counted. 17Go! Walk through the land. See how long and wide it is. I am giving it to you.”
18So Abram went to live near the large trees of Mamre at Hebron. There he pitched his tents and built an altar to honor the Lord.
Abramu Na Loti Watengana
113:1 Mwa 45:25; 12:9; 11:27Hivyo Abramu akakwea kutoka Misri kwenda Negebu, yeye na mkewe na kila kitu alichokuwa nacho, pia Loti akaenda pamoja naye. 213:2 Mwa 12:5; 26:13; 32:15; Mit 10:22; Ay 1:3; 42:12Wakati huo Abramu alikuwa tajiri sana wa mifugo, fedha na dhahabu.
313:3 Mwa 12:8-9Kutoka Negebu, akapita mahali hadi mahali, hadi akafika Betheli, mahali hapo ambapo mwanzoni alipiga hema lake kati ya Betheli na Ai 413:4 Mwa 12:7; 4:26hapo ambapo alikuwa amejenga madhabahu ya kwanza. Huko Abramu akaliitia jina la Bwana.
513:5 Mwa 11:27Basi Loti, ambaye alikuwa anafuatana na Abramu, alikuwa pia na makundi ya mbuzi, kondoo, ngʼombe na mahema. 613:6 Mwa 12:5; 33:9; 36:7Lakini nchi haikuwatosha kukaa pamoja kwa ajili ya wingi wa mali zao. 713:7 Mwa 26:20-21; 10:18; 15:20; 12:6; 34:30; Hes 20:3; Kut 3:8; Amu 1:4Ukazuka ugomvi kati ya wachunga mifugo wa Abramu na wale wa Loti. Wakati huo, Wakanaani na Waperizi ndio waliokuwa wenyeji wa nchi hiyo.
813:8 Mwa 11:27; 19:9; Mit 15:18; 20:3; Kut 2:14; Hes 16:13; Za 133:1Hivyo Abramu akamwambia Loti, “Pasiwe na ugomvi wowote kati yangu na wewe, wala kati ya wachungaji wangu na wako, kwa kuwa sisi ni ndugu. 913:9 Mwa 20:15; 34:10; 47:6; Yer 40:4Je, nchi yote haiko mbele yako? Tutengane. Kama ukielekea kushoto, nitakwenda kulia; kama ukielekea kulia, mimi nitakwenda kushoto.”
1013:10 1Fal 7:47; 2Nya 4:17; Hes 13:29; 33:48; Mwa 19:22; 2:8-10; 46:7; 14:2, 8Loti akatazama akaona lile bonde lote la Yordani kuwa lilikuwa na maji tele, kama bustani ya Bwana, kama nchi ya Misri, kuelekea Soari. (Hii ilikuwa kabla Bwana hajaharibu Sodoma na Gomora.) 11Hivyo Loti akajichagulia bonde lote la Yordani, akaelekea upande wa mashariki. Watu hao wawili wakatengana: 1213:12 Mwa 10:19; 11:27; 19:17-29; 14:12Abramu akaishi katika nchi ya Kanaani, wakati Loti aliishi miongoni mwa miji ya lile bonde na kupiga mahema yake karibu na Sodoma. 1313:13 Mwa 18:20; 19:4; 19:5; 20:6; 39:9; Isa 1:10; 3:9; Hes 32:23; 1Sam 12:23; 2Sam 12:13; Za 51:4; Eze 16:49-50; 2Pet 2:8Basi watu wa Sodoma walikuwa waovu, wakifanya sana dhambi dhidi ya Bwana.
1413:14 Mwa 28:14; 32:12; 48:16; Kum 3:27; 13:17; Isa 54:3Baada ya Loti kuondoka Bwana akamwambia Abramu, “Ukiwa hapo ulipo, inua macho yako utazame kaskazini na kusini, mashariki na magharibi. 1513:15 Mwa 12:7; Gal 3:16Nchi yote unayoiona nitakupa wewe na uzao wako hata milele. 1613:16 Mwa 12:2; 16:10; 17:20; 21:13-18; 25:16; Hes 23:10Nitaufanya uzao wako uwe mwingi kama mavumbi ya nchi, hivyo kama kuna yeyote awezaye kuhesabu mavumbi, basi uzao wako utahesabika. 1713:17 Mwa 12:7; 15:7; Hes 13:17-25Ondoka, tembea katika marefu na mapana ya nchi, kwa maana ninakupa wewe.”
1813:18 Mwa 8:20; 14:13; 18:1; 23:2, 17, 19; 25:9; 49:30; 50:13; 35:27; Hes 13:22; Yos 10:3, 36; Amu 1:10; 1Sam 30:31; 2Sam 2:1-11; 1Nya 11:1Basi Abramu akaondoa mahema yake, akaenda kuishi karibu na mialoni ya Mamre huko Hebroni, huko akamjengea Bwana madhabahu.
