¹⁵ With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away^(A) when the city is punished.^(B)”

¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters^(C) and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.^{(D) 17} As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives!^(E) Don’t look back,^(F) and don’t stop anywhere in the plain!^(G) Flee to the mountains^(H) or you will be swept away!”

¹⁸ But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,^[a] please! ¹⁹ Your^[b] servant has found favor in your^[c] eyes,^(I) and you^[d] have shown great kindness^(J) to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains;^(K) this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. ²⁰ Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

²¹ He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request^(L) too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. ²² But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.^[e](M))

²³ By the time Lot reached Zoar,^(N) the sun had risen over the land. ²⁴ Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur^(O) on Sodom and Gomorrah^(P)—from the Lord out of the heavens.^{(Q) 25} Thus he overthrew those cities^(R) and the entire plain,^(S) destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.^{(T) 26} But Lot’s wife looked back,^(U) and she became a pillar of salt.^(V)

²⁷ Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord.^{(W) 28} He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.^(X)

²⁹ So when God destroyed the cities of the plain,^(Y) he remembered^(Z) Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe^(AA) that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.^(AB)

Psalm 26

Of David.

Jesus Calms the Storm^(A)(B)

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith,^(C) why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.^(D)

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Psalm 145^[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹⁷ For the Lord your God is God of gods^(A) and Lord of lords,^(B) the great God, mighty and awesome,^(C) who shows no partiality^(D) and accepts no bribes.^{(E) 18} He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,^(F) and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.^{(G) 19} And you are to love^(H) those who are foreigners,^(I) for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.^{(J) 20} Fear the Lord your God and serve him.^(K) Hold fast^(L) to him and take your oaths in his name.^{(M) 21} He is the one you praise;^(N) he is your God, who performed for you those great^(O) and awesome wonders^(P) you saw with your own eyes.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(A) obeyed and went,^(B) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(C) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(D) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(E) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(F) with foundations,^(G) whose architect and builder is God.^{(H) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(I) was enabled to bear children^(J) because she^[a] considered him faithful^(K) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(L) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(M)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(N) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(O) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(P) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(Q) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(R) Therefore God is not ashamed^(S) to be called their God,^(T) for he has prepared a city^(U) for them.

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a](A) and hate your enemy.’^{(B) 44} But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,^{(C) 45} that you may be children^(D) of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(E) 46} If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?^(F) Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.^(G)