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BibleStudyIt Genesis 19

  • Genesis Chapter 19

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Lot leaves Sodom

19 The two angels arrived at Sodom. It was evening and Lot was sitting near the city gate. When Lot saw the angels, he got up to meet them. He turned his face towards the ground to respect them. 2 Lot said, ‘My lords, please come to stay in my house. You can wash your feet and stay the night there. Then you can continue your journey early in the morning.’ The angels replied, ‘No, we will stay the night here in this public place.’ 3 But Lot continued to ask them to stay with him. So the angels went with Lot to his house. Lot prepared a big meal for them, with some bread that he had baked without yeast. The angels ate the food.

4 After that, they were preparing to go to bed. Then all the men who lived in Sodom came to Lot's house. They were old men and young men, who came from every part of the city. They stood all round the house. 5 The men shouted to Lot, ‘Where are the men who are staying with you tonight? Bring them out here to us. We want to have sex with them.’

6 Lot went outside to talk to the men. He shut the door of his house behind him. 7 He said, ‘No, my friends. Please do not do this evil thing. 8 See here! I have two daughters. They have never had sex with a man. Let me bring them out to you. Then you can do whatever you want with them. But do not do anything to these men. They are my visitors and I cannot let anyone hurt them.’

9 The men from the city said, ‘Do not try to stop us! You are a stranger here in this city. You cannot tell us what to do! Be careful or we will do even worse things to you.’ They pushed against Lot and tried to reach the door of his house. They wanted to break the door and go in to the house. 10 The two visitors who were inside the house opened the door. They pulled Lot back into his house and they shut the door quickly. 11 Then they caused all the men outside to become blind. The young men of the city and the old men all became blind. As a result, they could not find the door of the house, even though they tried for some time.

12 The two visitors asked Lot, ‘Do you have any of your family here in the city? Do you have any sons or daughters, or husbands for your daughters? If you have any family, you must take them away from here. 13 We will soon destroy this city. Everybody knows how bad the people who live here are. As a result, the Lord has sent us to destroy this place.’

14 So Lot went out of his house. He spoke to the men who would marry his daughters. He said to them, ‘Hurry! Leave this city now, because the Lord has decided to destroy it.’ But the men did not believe Lot. They thought he was not being serious.

15 At dawn, the two angels told Lot he must leave quickly. They said to him, ‘Hurry! Take your wife and take your two daughters who are here. If you do not go quickly, you will all die when the Lord destroys the city.’ 16 But Lot did not move. [ a ] So the angels took hold of Lot's hand, as well as the hands of his wife and his two daughters. The Lord was very kind to Lot and his family and the angels led them away from the city.

17 When they had reached a place outside the city, one of the angels said, ‘Now run! Your lives are in danger. Do not look behind you! Do not stop anywhere in this valley. Run up into the mountains or you will die.’ 18 But Lot said, ‘No! Please, my lords, I cannot do that! 19 I am your humble servant and you have been very kind to me. You have saved my life. But I cannot run away into the mountains. If I try to do that, this punishment will catch me before I reach there. Then I will surely die. 20 Look! See that town over there. It is near and I can run to it safely. And it is a small town. So please let me run there. You can see that it is only a small place. If I go there, I will stay alive.’

21 The angel said to Lot, ‘OK, I will let you do what you have asked. I will not destroy that town. 22 But run there quickly. I cannot do anything until you arrive in the town.’ (The name of the town became ‘Zoar’, because it was small.)

23 Lot reached Zoar at the time when the sun was rising that morning.

24 Then the Lord poured sulphur that was on fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah. It fell from the sky like rain. [ b ] 25 In that way God destroyed those cities and everything in the valley. He killed all the people who lived in those cities. And he killed all the plants that grew on the land.

26 But as they ran away, Lot's wife looked back at the city. When she did that, she became a large piece of salt, like a pillar. [ c ]

27 Early in the morning, Abraham returned to the place where he had spoken with the Lord . 28 He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole valley. He saw thick dark smoke that was rising from the land. It was the smoke from a big fire.

29 When God destroyed the cities of the valley, he saved Lot from that punishment. God remembered what Abraham had asked him. He took Lot away from the cities where he had lived. Then God destroyed those cities.

Lot and his daughters

30 Lot was afraid to live in Zoar. So he took his two daughters and they went up into the mountains. They lived together in a cave. 31 One day, the older daughter said to her sister, ‘Our father is now old. There are no men who live near here, so there is nobody to marry us. We cannot have sex like everyone on the earth wants to do. 32 So we should give our father much wine to drink. When he becomes drunk, we will have sex with him. Then our father's family will continue to have descendants.’

33 That night they caused their father to become drunk with wine. The older daughter had sex with him. Lot was very drunk. He did not know when she came to him. And he did not know when she left him. 34 The next day the older daughter said to her younger sister, ‘Last night I had sex with my father. We should make him drunk with wine again tonight. Then you can have sex with him. As a result, our father's family will continue.’

35 So that night, they caused their father to become drunk again. The younger daughter had sex with her father. He did not know when she came to him. And he did not know when she left him.

36 In that way, Lot caused both of his daughters to become pregnant. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son. She called him Moab. He became the ancestor of the Moabites. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son. She called him Ben-Ammi. He became the ancestor of the Ammonites.

Footnotes

  1. 19:16 Lot and his family did not want to leave Sodom. They would be leaving everything that they had.
  2. 19:24 God used hot sulphur to destroy the cities. Sulphur is yellow. It burns quickly with a lot of heat. But when it gets cold, it becomes like stone. Hot sulphur covered the cities and the people in them. It burnt them. It became like stone over everything in the city.
  3. 19:26 The angel had told Lot and his family not to look back. See Genesis 19:17 . Lot's wife wanted to go back to the city because she liked living there.

Lot’s Visitors

19 That evening the two angels came to the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting near the city gates and saw them. He got up and went to them. He bowed to show respect and said, “Sirs, please come to my house, and I will serve you. There you can wash your feet and stay the night. Then tomorrow you can continue your journey.”

The angels answered, “No, we will stay the night in the city square.”

3 But Lot continued to ask them to come to his house, so they agreed and went with him. Lot gave them something to drink. He baked some bread for them, and they ate it.

4 That evening, just before bedtime, men from every part of town came to Lot’s house. They stood around the house and called to Lot. They said, 5 “Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us. We want to have sex with them.”

6 Lot went outside and closed the door behind him. 7 He said to the men, “No, my friends, I beg you, please don’t do this evil thing! 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man before. I will give my daughters to you. You can do anything you want with them. But please don’t do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them.” [ a ]

9 The men surrounding the house answered, “Get out of our way!” They said to themselves, “This man Lot came to our city as a visitor. Now he wants to tell us how we should live!” Then the men said to Lot, “We will do worse things to you than to them.” So the men started moving closer and closer to Lot. They were about to break down the door.

10 But the two men staying with Lot opened the door, pulled him back inside the house, and closed the door. 11 Then they did something to the men outside the door—they caused all these evil men, young and old, to become blind. So the men trying to get in the house could not find the door.

The Escape From Sodom

12 The two men said to Lot, “Are there any other people from your family living in this city? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or any other people from your family here? If so, you should tell them to leave now. 13 We are going to destroy this city. The Lord heard how evil this city is, so he sent us to destroy it.”

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, the men who had married his other daughters. He said, “Hurry and leave this city! The Lord will soon destroy it!” But they thought he was joking.

15 The next morning at dawn, the angels were trying to make Lot hurry. They said, “This city will be punished, so take your wife and your two daughters who are still with you and leave this place. Then you will not be destroyed with the city.”

16 When Lot did not move fast enough, the two men grabbed his hand. They also took the hands of his wife and his two daughters. The two men led Lot and his family safely out of the city. The Lord was kind to Lot and his family. 17 So after the two men brought Lot and his family out of the city, one of the men said, “Now run to save your life! Don’t look back at the city, and don’t stop anywhere in the valley. Run until you are in the mountains. If you stop, you will be destroyed with the city!”

18 But Lot said to the two men, “Sirs, please don’t force me to run so far! 19 You have been very kind to me, your servant. You have been very kind to save me, but I cannot run all the way to the mountains. What if I am too slow and something happens? I will be killed! 20 Look, there is a very small town near here. Let me run to that town. I can run there and be safe.”

21 The angel said to Lot, “Very well, I’ll let you do that. I will not destroy that town. 22 But run there quickly. I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town.” (That town is named Zoar, [ b ] because it is a small town.)

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

23 Lot was entering the town as the sun came up, 24 and the Lord began to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He caused fire and burning sulfur to fall from the sky. 25 He destroyed the whole valley—all the cities, the people living in the cities, and all the plants in the valley.

26 Lot’s wife was following behind him and looked back at the city. When she did, she became a block of salt.

27 Early the next morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he stood before the Lord . 28 Abraham looked down into the valley toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He saw clouds of smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.

29 God destroyed the cities in the valley, but he remembered what Abraham had said. So God sent Lot away from those cities before destroying them.

Lot and His Daughters

30 Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, so he and his two daughters went to live in the mountains in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Everywhere on the earth, men and women marry and have a family. But our father is old, and there are no men around here to give us children. 32 So let’s get our father drunk with wine. Then we can have sex with him. That way we can use our father to keep our family alive!”

33 That night the two girls went to their father and got him drunk with wine. Then the older daughter went and had sexual relations with him. He did not even know when she came to bed or when she got up.

34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger daughter, “Last night I went to bed with my father. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight. Then you can go and have sex with him. In this way we can use our father to have children, and our family will not come to an end.” 35 So that night the two girls got their father drunk with wine. Then the younger daughter went and had sexual relations with him. Again, Lot did not know when she came to bed or when she got up.

36 Both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant. Their father was the father of their babies. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son. She named him Moab. [ c ] Moab is the ancestor of all the Moabites living today. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son. She named him Ben-Ammi. [ d ] Ben-Ammi is the ancestor of all the Ammonites living today.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 19:8 I must protect them Whoever invited a traveler in as a guest was also promising to protect the traveler.
  2. Genesis 19:22 Zoar This name means “small.”
  3. Genesis 19:37 Moab In Hebrew this name sounds like “from father.”
  4. Genesis 19:38 Ben-Ammi In Hebrew this name sounds like “son of my father” or “son of my people.”

19 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.

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

The Doom of Sodom

19 Now the ( A ) two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When ( B ) Lot saw them , he stood up to meet them and [ a ] bowed 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, “No, but we shall spend the night in the public square.” 3 Yet he strongly urged them, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; ( C ) and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, ( D ) the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people [ b ] from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “ ( E ) Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may [ c ] have 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 look, ( F ) I have two daughters who have not [ d ] had relations with any man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them [ e ] whatever you like; only do not do anything to these men, because they have come under the [ f ] shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Get out of the way!” They also said, “This one came in [ g ] as a foreigner, and already ( G ) he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them!” So they pressed hard against [ h ] Lot and moved forward to break the door. 10 But ( H ) the men reached out their [ i ] hands and brought Lot into the house [ j ] with them, and shut the door. 11 Then ( I ) they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the small to the great, so that they became weary of trying to find the doorway.

12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else do you have here? A son-in-law and your sons and daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because ( J ) their outcry has become so great before the Lord that ( K ) the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who [ k ] were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, ( L ) get out of this place, for the Lord is destroying the city.” ( M ) But he appeared to his sons-in-law [ l ] to be joking.

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 [ m ] punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men ( N ) grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the [ n ] hands of his two daughters, because ( O ) the 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, [ o ] one said, “ ( P ) Escape for your life! ( Q ) Do not look behind you, and do not stay [ p ] anywhere in the ( R ) surrounding area; escape to ( S ) the [ q ] mountains, 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 compassion, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the [ r ] mountains, 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?) [ s ] so that my life may be saved.” 21 And he said to him, “Behold, I grant you this [ t ] request 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 town was named [ u ] ( T ) Zoar.

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord ( U ) rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and ( V ) He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But [ v ] Lot’s wife, from behind him, ( W ) looked back , and she became a pillar of salt.

27 Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to ( X ) the place where he had stood before the Lord ; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the surrounding area; and [ w ] behold, he saw ( Y ) the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a [ x ] furnace.

29 So it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the surrounding area, that ( Z ) God remembered Abraham, and ( AA ) sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Lot and His Daughters

30 Now Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and ( AB ) stayed in the [ y ] mountains, because he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man [ z ] on earth to [ aa ] ( AC ) have relations with us according to the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, ( AD ) let’s make our father drink wine, and let’s sleep with him so that we may keep [ ab ] our family alive through our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, I slept last night with my father; let’s make him drink wine tonight too, then you go in and sleep with him, so that we may keep [ ac ] our family alive through our father.” 35 So they had their father drink wine that night too, and the younger got up and slept with him; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 36 And so both of the daughters of Lot conceived by their father. 37 The firstborn gave birth to a son, and named him ( AE ) Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and named him Ben-ammi; he is the father of [ ad ] the sons of ( AF ) Ammon to this day.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 19:1 Lit bowed himself
  2. Genesis 19:4 Or without exception ; lit from every end
  3. Genesis 19:5 Lit know them ; i.e., have intercourse
  4. Genesis 19:8 Lit known man
  5. Genesis 19:8 Lit as is good in your sight
  6. Genesis 19:8 Lit shadow
  7. Genesis 19:9 Lit to sojourn
  8. Genesis 19:9 Lit the man, against Lot
  9. Genesis 19:10 Lit hand
  10. Genesis 19:10 Lit to
  11. Genesis 19:14 Or had married ; lit were taking
  12. Genesis 19:14 Lit like one who was joking
  13. Genesis 19:15 Or wrongdoing
  14. Genesis 19:16 Lit hand
  15. Genesis 19:17 Lit he
  16. Genesis 19:17 Lit in all the circle
  17. Genesis 19:17 Lit mountain
  18. Genesis 19:19 Lit mountain
  19. Genesis 19:20 Lit and my soul will live
  20. Genesis 19:21 Lit thing
  21. Genesis 19:22 I.e., small
  22. Genesis 19:26 Lit his
  23. Genesis 19:28 Lit he saw, and behold
  24. Genesis 19:28 Lit kiln
  25. Genesis 19:30 Lit mountain
  26. Genesis 19:31 Or in the land
  27. Genesis 19:31 Lit come in to
  28. Genesis 19:32 Lit seed from our father
  29. Genesis 19:34 Lit seed from our father
  30. Genesis 19:38 Heb Beney-Ammon

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19 The two angels ( A ) arrived at Sodom ( B ) in the evening, and Lot ( C ) was sitting in the gateway of the city. ( D ) When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. ( E ) 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet ( F ) and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” ( G )

3 But he insisted ( H ) so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. ( I ) He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, ( J ) and they ate. ( K ) 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom ( L ) —both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” ( M )

6 Lot went outside to meet them ( N ) and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.” ( O )

9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, ( P ) and now he wants to play the judge! ( Q ) We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

10 But the men ( R ) inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness ( S ) so that they could not find the door.

12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? ( T ) Get them out of here, 13 because we ( U ) are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great ( V ) that he has sent us to destroy it.” ( W )

14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry [ a ] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city! ( X ) ” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. ( Y )

15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away ( Z ) when the city is punished. ( AA )

16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters ( AB ) and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. ( AC ) 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! ( AD ) Don’t look back, ( AE ) and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! ( AF ) Flee to the mountains ( AG ) or you will be swept away!”

18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, [ b ] please! 19 Your [ c ] servant has found favor in your [ d ] eyes, ( AH ) and you [ e ] have shown great kindness ( AI ) to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; ( AJ ) this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request ( AK ) too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar. [ f ] ( AL ) )

23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, ( AM ) the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur ( AN ) on Sodom and Gomorrah ( AO ) —from the Lord out of the heavens. ( AP ) 25 Thus he overthrew those cities ( AQ ) and the entire plain, ( AR ) destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. ( AS ) 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, ( AT ) and she became a pillar of salt. ( AU )

27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord . ( AV ) 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. ( AW )

29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, ( AX ) he remembered ( AY ) Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe ( AZ ) that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. ( BA )

Lot and His Daughters

30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar ( BB ) and settled in the mountains, ( BC ) for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line ( BD ) through our father.” ( BE )

33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. ( BF )

34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ( BG ) 35 So they got their father to drink wine ( BH ) that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. ( BI )

36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. ( BJ ) 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab [ g ] ; ( BK ) he is the father of the Moabites ( BL ) of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi [ h ] ; he is the father of the Ammonites [ i ] ( BM ) of today.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 19:14 Or were married to
  2. Genesis 19:18 Or No, Lord ; or No, my lord
  3. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  4. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  5. Genesis 19:19 The Hebrew is singular.
  6. Genesis 19:22 Zoar means small.
  7. Genesis 19:37 Moab sounds like the Hebrew for from father.
  8. Genesis 19:38 Ben-Ammi means son of my father’s people.
  9. Genesis 19:38 Hebrew Bene-Ammon