Page:Sacred Books of the East - Volume 9.djvu/136

120 the fire; verily, in that are signs unto a people who believe.

He said, 'Verily, ye take beside God idols, through mutual friendship in the life of this world; then on the day of judgment ye shall deny each other, and shall curse each other, and your resort shall be the fire, and ye shall have none to help.'

And Lot believed him. And (Abraham) said, 'Verily, I flee unto my Lord! Verily, He is mighty, wise! and we granted him Isaac and Jacob; and we placed in his seed prophecy and the Book; and we gave him his hire in this world; and, verily, he in the next shall be among the righteous.'

And Lot when he said to his people, 'Verily, ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in! What! do ye approach men? and stop folks on the highway? and approach in your assembly sin?' but the answer of his people was only to say, 'Bring us God’s torment, if thou art of those who speak the truth!'

Said he, 'My Lord! help me against a people who do evil!'

And when our messengers came to Abraham with the glad tidings, they said, 'We are about to destroy the people of this city. Verily, the people thereof are wrong-doers.'

Said he, 'Verily, in it is Lot;' they said, 'We know best who is therein; we shall of a surety save him and his people, except his wife, who is of those who linger.' And when our messengers came to Lot, he was vexed for them, and his arm was straitened for them; and they said, {{sq|Fear not, neither grieve; we are about to save thee and thy people, except thy wife, who is of those who linger. Verily, we