The Doom of Sodom

1 Now the atwo angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When bLot saw them, he rose to meet them and 1bowed down with his face to the ground.

2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.”

3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; aand he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 Before they lay down, athe men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people 1from every quarter;

5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “aWhere are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may 1have relations with them.”

6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him,

7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly.

8 “Now behold, aI have two daughters who have not 1had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them 2whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the 3shelter of my roof.”

9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in 1as an alien, and already ahe is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against 2Lot and came near to break the door.

10 But athe men reached out their 1hands and brought Lot into the house 2with them, and shut the door.

11 aThey 1struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.

12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place;

13 for we are about to destroy this place, because atheir outcry has become so great before the Lord that bthe Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who 1were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, aget out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” bBut he appeared to his sons-in-law 2to be jesting.

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the 1punishment of the city.”

16 But he hesitated. So the men aseized his hand and the hand of his wife and the 1hands of his two daughters, for bthe compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city.

17 When they had brought them outside, 1one said, “aEscape for your life! bDo not look behind you, and do not stay 2anywhere in the cvalley; escape to dthe 3mountains, or you will be swept away.”

18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords!

19 “Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the 1mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die;

20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) 1that my life may be saved.”

21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this 1request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken.

22 “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called 1aZoar.

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

24 Then the Lord arained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven,

25 and aHe overthrew those cities, and all the 1valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

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