Page:The Holy Bible (YLT).djvu/31

Abraham pleadeth for Sodom. And Abraham draweth nigh and saith, 'Dost Thou also consume righteous with wicked? peradventure there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; dost Thou also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty—the righteous who are in its midst? Far be it from Thee to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it hath been—as the righteous so the wicked—far be it from Thee; doth the Judge of all the earth not do justice?' And Jehovah saith, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.'

And Abraham answereth and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I—dust and ashes; peradventure there are lacking five of the fifty righteous—dost Thou destroy for five the whole of the city?' and He saith, 'I destroy it not, if I find there forty and five.'

And he addeth again to speak unto Him and saith, 'Peradventure there are found there forty?' and He saith, 'I do it' not, because of the forty.'

And he saith, 'Let it not be, I pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, 'I do it not, if I find there thirty.'

And he saith, Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the twenty.'

And he saith, 'Let it not be, I pray Thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: peradventure there are found there ten?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the ten.'

And Jehovah goeth on, when He hath finished speaking unto Abraham, and Abraham hath turned back to his place.

XIX. AND two of the messengers come towards Sodom at even, and Lot is sitting at the gate of Sodom, and Lot seeth, and riseth to meet them, and boweth himself—face to the earth, and he saith, 'Lo, I pray you, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, unto the house of your servant, and lodge, and wash your feet—then ye have risen early and gone on your way;' and they say, 'Nay, but in the broad place we do lodge.'

And he presseth on them greatly, and they then aside unto him, and come in unto his house; and he maketh for them a banquet, and hath baked unleavened things; and they do eat.

Before they lie down, the men of the city—men of Sodom—have come round about against the house, from young even unto aged, all the people from the extremity; and they call unto Lot and say to him, 'Where are the men who have come in unto thee to-night? bring them out unto us, and we know them.'

And Lot goeth out unto them, to the opening, and the door hath shut behind him, and saith, 'Do not, I pray you, my brethren, do evil;  lo. I pray you, I have two daughters, who nave not known any one; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do to them as is good in your eyes; only to these men do not anything, for therefore have they come in within the shadow of my roof.'

And they say, 'Come nigh hither;' they say also, 'This one hath come in to sojourn, and he certainly judgeth! now, we do evil to thee more than to them;' and they press against the man, against Lot greatly, and come nigh to break the door.

And the men put forth their hand, and bring in Lot unto them, into the house, and have shut the door; and the men who are at the opening of the house they have smitten with blindness, from small even unto great, and they weary themselves to find the opening.

And the men say unto Lot, 'Whom hast thou here still? son-in-law, thy sons also, and thy daughters, and all whom thou hast in the city, bring out from this place; for we are destroying this place, for their cry hath been great before the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth send us to destroy it.'

And Lot goeth out, and speaketh unto his sons-in-law, those taking his daughters, and saith 'Rise, go out from this place, for Jehovah is destroying the city;' and he is as one mocking in the eyes of his sons-in-law.

And when the dawn hath ascended, then the messengers press upon Lot, saying, 'Rise, take thy Wife, and thy two daughters who are found present, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.'

And he lingereth, and the men lay hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, through the mercy of Jehovah unto him, and they bring him out, and cause him to rest without the city.

And it cometh to pass when he hath brought them out without, that he saith, 'Escape for thy life; look not expectingly behind thee, nor stand thou in all the circuit; to the mountain escape, lest thou be consumed.

And Lot saith unto them, 'Not so, I pray thee, my lord; lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, and thou dost make great thy kindness which thou hast done with me by saving my life, and I am unable to escape to the mountain, lest the evil cleave to me, and I have died;  lo, I pray thee, this city is near to flee thither, and it is little; let me escape, I pray thee, thither, (is it not little?) and my soul doth live.'

And he saith unto him, 'Lo, I have accepted thy face also for this thing, without overthrowing the city for which thou hast spoken; haste, escape thither, for I am not able to do anything till thine entering thither;' therefore hath he calleth the name of the city Zoar.

The sun hath gone out on the earth, and Lot hath entered into Zoar, and Jehovah hath rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens;  and He overthroweth these cities, and all the circuit, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which is shooting up from the ground. And his wife looketh 11