The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while1 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway.2 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night3 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.”4 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.”5

19:3 But he urged6 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep,7 all the men—both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom—surrounded the house.8 19:5 They shouted to Lot,9 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex10 with them!”

19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly!11 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with12 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please.13 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection14 of my roof.”15

19:9 “Out of our way!”16 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner,17 and now he dares to judge us!18 We’ll do more harm19 to you than to them!” They kept20 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough21 to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside22 reached out23 and pulled Lot back into the house24 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest,25 with blindness. The men outside26 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors27 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here?28 Do you have29 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city?30 Get them out of this31 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy32 it. The outcry against this place33 is so great before the Lord that he34 has sent us to destroy it.”

19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters.35 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy36 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them.37

19:15 At dawn38 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here,39 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!”40 19:16 When Lot41 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them.42 They led them away and placed them43 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they44 said, “Run45 for your lives! Don’t look46 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley!47 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord!48 19:19 Your49 servant has found favor with you,50 and you have shown me great51 kindness52 by sparing53 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because54 this disaster will overtake55 me and I’ll die.56 19:20 Look, this town57 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one.58 Let me go there.59 It’s just a little place, isn’t it?60 Then I’ll survive.”61

19:21 “Very well,” he replied,62 “I will grant this request too63 and will not overthrow64 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly,65 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.)66

19:23 The sun had just risen67 over the land as Lot reached Zoar.68 19:24 Then the Lord rained down69 sulfur and fire70 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord.71 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region,72 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew73 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s74 wife looked back longingly75 and was turned into a pillar of salt.

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went76 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward77 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region.78 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace.79

19:29 So when God destroyed80 the cities of the region,81 God honored82 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot83 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed84 the cities Lot had lived in.

19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said85 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby86 to have sexual relations with us,87 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine88 so we can have sexual relations89 with him and preserve90 our family line through our father.”91

19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine,92 and the older daughter93 came and had sexual relations with her father.94 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up.95 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter96 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight.97 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.”98 19:35 So they made their father drunk99 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him.100 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up.101

19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter102 gave birth to a son and named him Moab.103 He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi.104 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.