16. And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom:
and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing
which I do;
18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty
nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him?
19. For I know him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the
LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring
upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21. I will go down now, and see whether they have done
altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto
me; and if not, I will know.
22. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward
Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt
thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous that are therein?
25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the
righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be
as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of
all the earth do right?
26. And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within
the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon
me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
28. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous:
wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he
said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure
there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do
it for forty's sake.
30. And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I
will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there.
And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto
the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.
And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32. And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak
yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there.
And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Chapter 19
1. And there came two angels to Sodom at even; 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;
2. 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 abide in the street all night.
3. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto
him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast,
and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men
of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all
the people from every quarter:
5. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the
men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto
us, that we may know them.
6. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door
after him,
7. And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known 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.
9. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one
fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be 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 hand, and pulled Lot into the
house to them, and shut to the door.
11. And they smote the men that 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? son
in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou
hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13. For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is
waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath
sent us to destroy it.
14. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which
married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this
place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as
one that 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, which
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 without the city.
17. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth
abroad, 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 shewed 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 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
the which thou hast spoken.
22. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till
thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was
called Zoar.
23. The sun was 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 gat 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 the
which Lot dwelt.
