Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Genesis 19:1-29

Bible Stories

Genesis 19:1 And the two Angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of the city. And when he had seen them, he rose up and went to meet them. And he reverenced prone on the ground.

Genesis 19:2 And he said: “I beg you, my lords, turn aside to the house of your servant, and lodge there. Wash your feet, and in the morning you will advance on your way.” And they said, “Not at all. But we will lodge in the street.”

Genesis 19:3 He pressed them very much to turn aside to him. And when they had entered his house, he made a feast for them, and he cooked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Genesis 19:4 But before they went to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house, from boys to old men, all the people together.

Genesis 19:5 And they called out to Lot, and they said to him: “Where are the men who entered to you in the night? Bring them out here, so that we may know them.”

Genesis 19:6 Lot went out to them, and blocking the door behind him, he said:

Genesis 19:7 “Do not, I ask you, my brothers, do not be willing to commit this evil.

Genesis 19:8 I have two daughters who as yet have not known man. I will bring them out to you; abuse them as it pleases you, provided that you do no evil to these men, because they have entered under the shadow of my roof.”

Genesis 19:9 But they said, “Move away from there.” And again: “You have entered,” they said, “as a stranger; should you then judge? Therefore, we will afflict you yourself more than them.” And they acted very violently against Lot. And they were now at the point of breaking open the doors.

Genesis 19:10 And behold, the men put out their hand, and they pulled Lot in to them, and they closed the door.

Genesis 19:11 And they struck those who were outside with blindness, from the least to the greatest, so that they were not able to find the door.

Genesis 19:12 Then they said to Lot: “Do you have here anyone of yours? All who are yours, sons-in-law, or sons, or daughters, bring them out of this city.

Genesis 19:13 For we will eliminate this place, because the outcry among them has increased before the Lord, who sent us to destroy them.”

Genesis 19:14 And so Lot, going out, spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to receive his daughters, and he said: “Rise up. Depart from this place. For the Lord will destroy this city.” And it seemed to them that he was speaking playfully.

Genesis 19:15 And when it was morning, the Angels compelled him, saying, “Arise, take your wife, and the two daughters that you have, lest you also should perish amid the wickedness of the city.”

Genesis 19:16 And, since he ignored them, they took his hand, and the hand of his wife, as well as that of his two daughters, because the Lord was sparing him.

Genesis 19:17 And they brought him out, and placed him beyond the city. And there they spoke to him, saying: “Save your life. Do not look not back. Neither should you stay in the entire surrounding region. But save yourself in the mountain, lest you also should perish.”

Genesis 19:18 And Lot said to them: “I beg you, my lord,

Genesis 19:19 though your servant has found grace before you, and you have magnified your mercy, which you have shown to me in saving my life, I cannot be saved on the mountain, lest perhaps some misfortune take hold of me and I die.

Genesis 19:20 There is a certain city nearby, to which I can flee; it is a little one, and I will be saved in it. Is it not a modest one, and will not my soul live?”

Genesis 19:21 And he said to him: “Behold, even now, I have heard your petitions about this, not to overturn the city on behalf of which you have spoken.

Genesis 19:22 Hurry and be saved there. For I cannot do anything until you enter there.” For this reason, the name of that city is called Zoar.

Genesis 19:23 The sun had risen over the land, and Lot had entered into Zoar.

Genesis 19:24 Therefore, the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire, from the Lord, out of heaven.

Genesis 19:25 And he overturned these cities, and all the surrounding region: all the inhabitants of the cities, and everything that springs from the land.

Genesis 19:26 And his wife, looking behind herself, was turned into a statue of salt.

Genesis 19:27 Then Abraham, rising up in the morning, in the place where he had stood before with the Lord,

Genesis 19:28 looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and the entire land of that region. And he saw embers rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace.

Genesis 19:29 For when God overthrew the cities of that region, remembering Abraham, he freed Lot from the overthrow of the cities, in which he had dwelt.