A reading from the book of Genesis.

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had and lot with him into

the Negeb.

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold, and he journeyed on from the

Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between

Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon

the name of the Lord, and Lott, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together, for their possessions were so

great that they could not dwell together,

and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abrams' livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's

livestock. At that time, the Canaanites and the Parasites were dwelling in the land.

Then Abrams said to Lot,

"'Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.

"'It's not the whole land before you.

"'Seperate yourself from me.

"'If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right.

"'Or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.'

"'And Lott lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, and the direction of Zor.

This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east.

Thus they separated from each other.

Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among

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