Genesis 18:2–19:22

2  And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3  and said, Lord, if now I have found favour in thine eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. 4  Let now a little water be fetched, that ye may wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5  And I will fetch a morsel of bread; and refresh yourselves; after that ye shall pass on; for therefore have ye passed on towards your servant. And they said, So do as thou hast said. 6  And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Knead quickly three seahs of wheaten flour, and make cakes. 7  And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave it to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it. 8  And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.

9  And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10  And he said, I will certainly return to thee at this time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him. 11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12  And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old, shall I have pleasure, and my lord old? 13  And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why is this, that Sarah laughs, saying, Shall I indeed bear, when I am become old? 14  Is any matter too wonderful for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return to thee, at this time of the year, and Sarah shall have a son. 15  And Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but thou didst laugh.

16  And the men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to conduct them. 17  And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? 18  Since Abraham shall indeed 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 Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him. 20  And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and 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 to me; and if not, I will know it. 22  And the men turned thence, and went towards Sodom; and Abraham remained yet standing before Jehovah.

23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also cause the righteous to perish with the wicked? 24  There are perhaps fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are therein? 25  Far be it from thee to do so, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked—far be it from thee! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26  And Jehovah said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sakes. 27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes. 28  Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy it. 29  And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty’s sake. 30  And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. 31  And he said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak with the Lord. Perhaps there may be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake. 32  And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, that I speak yet but this time! Perhaps there may be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake. 33  And Jehovah went away when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Chapter 19

1  And the two angels came to Sodom at even. And Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed down, the face toward the ground, 2  and he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and lodge, and wash your feet; and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way. And they said, No; but we will pass the night in the open place. 3  And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house. And he made them a repast, and baked unleavened cakes; and they ate.

4  Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the youngest to the oldest—all the people from every quarter. 5  And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men that have come in to thee to-night? bring them out to us that we may know them. 6  And Lot went out to them to the entrance, and shut the door after him, 7  and said, I pray you, my brethren, do not wickedly! 8  Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man: let me now bring them out to you; and do to them as is good in your sight: only, to these men do nothing; for therefore have they come under the shadow of my roof. 9  And they said, Back there! And they said again, This one came to sojourn, and he must be a judge? Now we will deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed hard on the man—on Lot; and drew near to break the door. 10  And the men stretched out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 11  And they smote the men that were at the entrance of the house with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest; and they wearied themselves to find the entrance.

12  And the men said to Lot, Whom hast thou here besides? a son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and all whom thou hast in the city—bring them out of the place. 13  For we are going to destroy this place, because the cry of them is great before Jehovah, and Jehovah has sent us to destroy it. 14  And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, Up, go out of this place, for Jehovah will destroy the city. But he was as if he jested, in the sight of his sons-in-law.

15  And as the dawn arose, the angels urged Lot, saying, Up, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are present, lest thou perish in the iniquity of the city. 16  And as he lingered, the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful to him; and they led him out, and set him without the city. 17  And it came to pass when they had brought them 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 perish. 18  And Lot said to them, Not so, I pray thee, Lord; 19  behold now, thy servant has found favour in thine eyes, and thou hast magnified thy goodness, which thou hast shewn to me in preserving my soul alive; but I cannot escape to the mountain, lest calamity lay hold on me, that I die. 20  Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is small: I pray thee, let me escape thither—is it not small? —and my soul shall live. 21  And he said to him, Behold, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken. 22  Haste, escape thither; for I cannot do anything until thou art come there. Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.