XXX.
The men with their wives were approaching their
punishment, sufferings within their walls: arrogant in
riches, they requited the Lord for their prosperity with2420
insult, until the Protector of spirits, the Source of Light
and Life, would tolerate their offence no longer: but to
them the steadfast King sent two strong messengers
of his, who arrived at eventide at the fortress of Sodoma,2425
in their traveling. At the city-gate they found the
warrior, the son of Aron, sitting by himself, so that they
appeared before the eyes of the wise man as young men.
Then the servant of the Lord arose before the spirits,2430
went forward to greet the strangers civilly, thought their
demeanor very proper and agreeable, and invited the
men to be his guests for the night. The noble messengers
of our Preserver answered him thus:
"For the courtesy which you have extended to us,2435
accept our thanks. In this street we expect quietly
to wait for the time when the Lord shall let the sun
[go] forth again for the morning."
Then humbly Loth[33] bowed at the feet of the strangers2440
and eagerly offered them the repose and refreshments
and shelter and service of his dwelling. They accepted
thankfully the benevolence of the good man, and followed
him forthwith inside his walls, as the Hebrew chieftain
invited them. There in his hall the generous wise-2445
souled man gave them fair hospitality, until twilight
departed: then came night, after the close of day, and
veiled with darkness the lake-streams, seas, and broad2450
land, and [all] the pomp of this life. Then the men of
Sodoma came, young and old, hateful to God, to demand
the strangers, with a great throng so that they surrounded2455
Loth and his guests by the multitude of their force;
they bade [him] lead out of the lofty hall the holy mess-
engers [and put] the men in their power; they said
openly in words that they would have intercourse with
the men shamefully, and had no regard for decency. Then2460
Loth, who often knew what was best, quickly arose in his
house, and went out at once; and the son of Aron, mindful
of his cunning, spoke thus over all the mass of people:
"Here are within two spotless [maidens], my daughters:2465
neither of these damsels knows intercourse as yet through
sleeping with a man: do then as I bid you, and cease
from this sin. I give them both to you, before you
commit this vileness against nature, heinous evil against2470
the sons of men. Receive these maidens and let my
guests go free, since I will defend them against you as
well as I can, before God!"
Thereupon the crowd, the shameless race, answered2475
him through common consent:
"It seems very right and fitting that thou shouldst
depart out of this neighborhood, thou who bereft of
friends and with the step of an exile soughtest this people
from afar, in thy need: wilt thou, if thou mayst, be our2480
ruler here, the teacher of the people?"
Then I heard of Loth how the heathen masses gripped
him with their hands, with hostile grasp: his guests
aided him well and the righteous strangers drew him2485
out of the clutches of the enemy back within the walls,
and then speedily closed fast the eyesight of every one
of the people of Sodoma standing around: the whole2490
crowd of citizens forthwith became blind; nor could
they, in their evil rage, break into the house after the
guests, as they intended, but the messengers of God
were [too] active for them; the stranger had power, irre-2495
sistible vigor, and was very severe upon the people in
[inflicting] punishment. Then the dear ministers of
peace spoke fairly to Loth, in these words:
"If thou hast a son, or dear relative, or any friend
among these people besides these maidens whom we see2500
here, lead out of this city those who are dear to thee, with
great haste, and save thine own life, lest thou perish
with these law-breakers. For the Lord has commanded
us, because of the people's sins, to give over Sodoma and2505
Gomorra to black flame and fire, and to slay these people,
[striking] the race in their cities with deadly horrors,
and so wreak His wrath [upon them]. It has nearly
reached the appointed time. Set out on thy way, to
save thy life: the Lord is merciful to thee...."[34]2510
Loth then hastily answered them:
"I cannot, with these womenfolk, seek my safety
so far from here in a journey on foot. You manifest
to me kindness and fair friendship, you grant me grace2515
and good-will. I know a lofty town near here, a little
fortress: leave me there, in honor and peace, so that we
may seek safety above, in Sigor. If you will protect that2520
lofty fastness from the fire, we can abide in that place
unharmed, in safety, and so preserve our lives."
Then the righteous angels answered him benevol-2525
ently:
"Thou shalt be successful in this petition, now thou
speakest about that city: withdraw immediately to that
fastness. We shall keep thee in peace and safety. We
must not wreak the wrath of God upon these law-2530
breakers and destroy the sinful race, before thou hast
led thy children and wife likewise into Sægor."
Then the kinsman of Abraham set out for the fastness:
the chieftain did not spare the pace for his womenfolk,2535
but he pushed his steps most hastily until he had brought
his wife and children to the citadel of Sægor. When the
sun rose, [when] the peaceful luminary of the nations
went forth, then, I have heard, the Master of Glory sent2540
sulphur out of heaven, and swart flame for the punish-
ment of men, swelling fire, since they had offended the
Lord for a long period in former days: thus the Ruler of
spirits gave them retribution. Utmost terror seized upon2545
the heathen race: tumult arose in the city, the outcry
of the accursed race over shameful death, just beginning.
The flame seized upon all that it found green, in the rich
city, just as around outside no small portion of the broad2550
earth was filled with conflagration and terror: trees
and earth's harvests turned to ashes and embers, even
as far as the avenging curse direly extended over the2555
broad country of the people. The devastating fire
rushing on in tumult devoured all things together, far
and wide, that men had owned in the cities of Sodoma
and Gomorra: all this, together with the people, God2560
the Lord destroyed.
When Loth's wife, his bride in the city, heard the din
of fire, the death of the people, then she looked back-
ward [to see] this devastation. The Scriptures tell us
that she immediately turned into the likeness of a pillar
of salt: ever since then this statue has stood there2565
motion less (this is a strange story), where she incurred
this severe penalty because she would not obey the
ministers of glory in their commands: now, stiff and
erect, she will have to await her doom in that place, at2570
the Lord's Judgment Day, when the world has com-
pleted its [allotted] number of years. This is one of
the miracles which the King of Glory has wrought.