SODOM AND GOMORRAH
Showing how the Lord destroyed two wicked cities and punished a disobedient woman.
Sodom and Gomorrah were two very wicked cities in Palestine. The people worshipped idols and did many other evil things in the sight of the Lord. Therefore, the Lord said He would destroy these cities off the face of the earth.
Abraham said: “Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? If there be fifty righteous in the city wilt thou spare the place?” And the Lord said He would spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous men.
Then Abraham said: “If there be forty and five righteous within the city, wilt thou spare the place?” And the Lord said He would spare the place for the sake of forty-five righteous.
Then Abraham said: “If there be forty righteous within the city wilt thou spare the place?” And the Lord said He would spare the place for the sake of forty righteous.
Then Abraham said: “If there be thirty righteous within the city, wilt thou spare the place?” And the Lord promised to spare the place for the sake of thirty righteous.
And then Abraham asked for the sake of twenty, and then for the sake of ten, and the Lord promised that even for the sake of ten righteous people He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
But the ten could not be found in all the two cities.
Now Lot and his wife and his two daughters lived in Sodom. Lot was a good man and sat one day at the gate and saw two men approaching. Not knowing that they were angels, Lot made them come into his house and put food before them and pressed them to lie down and rest. The people of Sodom seeing Lot do this, came to his home and called for the two men to do them harm, but Lot shut the door and ordered them to go away. Instead of doing this they beat upon the door and came near breaking it down; and then the men, who were angels in disguise, put forth their hands and smote the people with blindness, both large and small, so that they could not find their way from Lot’s home.