Sodom’s Depravity

19 Now (A)the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and (B)Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please (C)turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and (D)wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”

And they said, (E)“No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”

But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. (F)Then he made them a feast, and baked (G)unleavened bread, and they ate.

Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. (H)And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? (I)Bring them out to us that we (J)may know them carnally.

So (K)Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! (L)See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, (M)since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one (N)came in to [a]stay here, (O)and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they (P)struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed(Q)

12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—(R)take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the (S)outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and (T)the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, (U)who had married his daughters, and said, (V)“Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” (W)But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, (X)“Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men (Y)took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the (Z)Lord being merciful to him, (AA)and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that [b]he said, (AB)“Escape for your life! (AC)Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape (AD)to the mountains, lest you be [c]destroyed.”

18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, (AE)no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

21 And he said to him, “See, (AF)I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For (AG)I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”

Therefore (AH)the name of the city was called [d]Zoar.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained (AI)brimstone and (AJ)fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He [e]overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and (AK)what grew on the ground.

26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became (AL)a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where (AM)he had stood before the Lord. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, (AN)the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God (AO)remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 19:9 As a resident alien
  2. Genesis 19:17 LXX, Syr., Vg. they
  3. Genesis 19:17 Lit. swept away
  4. Genesis 19:22 Lit. Little or Insignificant
  5. Genesis 19:25 devastated

19 And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

and he said, “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early and go on your ways.” And they said, “Nay, but we will remain in the street all night.”

And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house; and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom — both young and old, all the people from every quarter —compassed the house around.

And they called unto Lot and said unto him, “Where are the men who came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him

and said, “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.”

And they said, “Stand back.” And they said again, “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will become a judge! Now will we deal worse with thee than with them.” And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

11 And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

12 And the men said unto Lot, “Hast thou here any besides? Soninlaw, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city — bring them out of this place.

13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them has waxed great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.”

14 And Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, “Up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons-in-law.

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, “Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”

16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth outside, that he said, “Escape for thy life! Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!”

18 And Lot said unto them, “Oh, not so, my lord.

19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.

20 Behold now, this city is near enough to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

21 And he said unto him, “See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which thou hast spoken.

22 Hasten thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou hast come thither.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord out of heaven;

25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord;

28 and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld. And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

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