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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 13

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1From Egypt, Avram went up into the Negev, with his wife and all that he possessed, together with Lot.

אוַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְלוֹט עִמּוֹ הַנֶּגְבָּה׃

2Now Avram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold.

בוְאַבְרָם כָּבֵד מְאֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב׃

3And he proceeded by stages from the Negev as far as Beit El, to the place where his tent had been formerly, between Beit El and Ai,

גוַיֵּלֶךְ לְמַסָּעָיו מִנֶּגֶב וְעַד־בֵּית־אֵל עַד־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה שָׁם אהלה [אָהֳלוֹ] בַּתְּחִלָּה בֵּין בֵּית־אֵל וּבֵין הָעָי׃

4the site of the mizbayach that he had built there at first; and there Avram invoked Hashem by name.

דאֶל־מְקוֹם הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה שָׁם בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וַיִּקְרָא שָׁם אַבְרָם בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה׃

5Lot, who went with Avram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

הוְגַם־לְלוֹט הַהֹלֵךְ אֶת־אַבְרָם הָיָה צֹאן־וּבָקָר וְאֹהָלִים׃

6so that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together.

ווְלֹא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם הָאָרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּו כִּי־הָיָה רְכוּשָׁם רָב וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לָשֶׁבֶת יַחְדָּו׃

7And there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Avram's cattle and those of Lot's cattle.—The Canaanites and Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.

זוַיְהִי־רִיב בֵּין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־אַבְרָם וּבֵין רֹעֵי מִקְנֵה־לוֹט וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי אָז יֹשֵׁב בָּאָרֶץ׃

8Avram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, between my herdsmen and yours, for we are kinsmen.

חוַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־לוֹט אַל־נָא תְהִי מְרִיבָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ וּבֵין רֹעַי וּבֵין רֹעֶיךָ כִּי־אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אֲנָחְנוּ׃

9Is not the whole land before you? Let us separate: if you go north, I will go south; and if you go south, I will go north.”

טהֲלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ הִפָּרֶד נָא מֵעָלָי אִם־הַשְּׂמֹאל וְאֵימִנָה וְאִם־הַיָּמִין וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה׃

10Lot looked about him and saw how well watered was the whole plain of the Yarden, all of it—this was before Hashem had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—all the way to Zoar, like the garden of Hashem, like the land of Egypt.

va-yi-sa LOT et ay-NAV va-YAR et kol ki-KAR ha-yar-DAYN KEE khu-LAH mash-KEH lif-NAY sha-KHAYT a-do-NAI et s'-DOM v'-et a-mo-RAH k'-gan a-do-NAI k'-E-retz mitz-RA-yim bo-a-KHA TZO-ar

יוַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹט אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת יְהֹוָה אֶת־סְדֹם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה צֹעַר׃

 13:10   How well watered was the whole plain of the Yarden

Jordan River

 After conflict arises between their shepherds, it becomes clear that Avraham and Lot must separate. Lot chooses the fertile, well-watered plain of the Yarden, leaving Canaan, a land with meager water sources of its own, to Avraham. The area that Lot chooses, though lush and bountiful, was filled with cruel and corrupt inhabitants who are ultimately destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah. Avraham, on the other hand, settles in the holy Land of Israel, where he begins to fulfill his spiritual calling. Though other places can be attractive, when it comes to sanctity and Godliness there is no better place on earth than Eretz Yisrael.

11So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Yarden, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they parted from each other;

יאוַיִּבְחַר־לוֹ לוֹט אֵת כָּל־כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּסַּע לוֹט מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּפָּרְדוּ אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִיו׃

12Avram remained in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the Plain, pitching his tents near Sodom.

יבאַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ־כְּנָעַן וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד־סְדֹם׃

13Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners against Hashem.

יגוְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיהֹוָה מְאֹד׃

14And Hashem said to Avram, after Lot had parted from him, “Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west,

ידוַיהֹוָה אָמַר אֶל־אַבְרָם אַחֲרֵי הִפָּרֶד־לוֹט מֵעִמּוֹ שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָמָּה׃

15for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever.

טוכִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד־עוֹלָם׃

16I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring too can be counted.

טזוְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אִם־יוּכַל אִישׁ לִמְנוֹת אֶת־עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ גַּם־זַרְעֲךָ יִמָּנֶה׃

17Up, walk about the land, through its length and its breadth, for I give it to you.”

יזקוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאָרְכָּהּ וּלְרָחְבָּהּ כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה׃

18And Avram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Chevron; and he built a mizbayach there to Hashem.

יחוַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא אֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּבֶן־שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהֹוָה׃