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1. About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their
riches and great wealth; they became unjust towards men, and
impious towards God, insomuch that they did not call to mind the
advantages they received from him: they hated strangers, and
abused themselves with Sodomitical practices. God was therefore
much displeased at them, and determined to punish them for their
pride, and to overthrow their city, and to lay waste their
country, until there should neither plant nor fruit grow out of
it.
2. When God had thus resolved concerning the Sodomites, Abraham,
as he sat by the oak of Mambre, at the door of his tent, saw
three angels; and thinking them to be strangers, he rose up, and
saluted them, and desired they would accept of an entertainment,
and abide with him; to which, when they agreed, he ordered cakes
of meal to be made presently; and when he had slain a calf, he
roasted it, and brought it to them, as they sat under the oak.
Now they made a show of eating; and besides, they asked him about
his wife Sarah, where she was; and when he said she was within,
they said they would come again hereafter, and find her become a
mother. Upon which the woman laughed, and said that it was
impossible she should bear children, since she was ninety years
of age, and her husband was a hundred. Then they concealed
themselves no longer, but declared that they were angels of God;
and that one of them was sent to inform them about the child, and
two of the overthrow of Sodom.
3. When Abraham heard this, he was grieved for the Sodomites; and
he rose up, and besought God for them, and entreated him that he
would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. And when God had
replied that there was no good man among the Sodomites; for if
there were but ten such man among them, he would not punish any
of them for their sins, Abraham held his peace. And the angels
came to the city of the Sodomites, and Lot entreated them to
accept of a lodging with him; for he was a very generous and
hospitable man, and one that had learned to imitate the goodness
of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of
beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and
that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved
themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence;
and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any
thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their
lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations
could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their
lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made
ashamed.
4. But God was much displeased at their impudent behavior, so
that he both smote those men with blindness, and condemned the
Sodomites to universal destruction. But Lot, upon God's informing
him of the future destruction of the Sodomites, went away, taking
with him his wife and daughters, who were two, and still virgins;
for those that were betrothed to them were above the
thoughts of going, and deemed that Lot's words were trifling. God
then cast a thunderbolt upon the city, and set it on fire, with
its inhabitants; and laid waste the country with the like
burning, as I formerly said when I wrote the Jewish War. But
Lot's wife continually turning back to view the city as she went
from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would become of
it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a
pillar of salt; for I have seen it, and it remains at this
day. Now he and his daughters fled to a certain small place,
encompassed with the fire, and settled in it: it is to this day
called Zoar, for that is the word which the Hebrews use for a
small thing. There it was that he lived a miserable life, on
account of his having no company, and his want of provisions.
5. But his daughters, thinking that all mankind were destroyed,
approached to their father, though taking care not to be
perceived. This they did, that human kind might not utterly fail:
and they bare sons; the son of the elder was named Moab, Which
denotes one derived from his father; the younger bare Ammon,
which name denotes one derived from a kinsman. The former of whom
was the father of the Moabites, which is even still a great
nation; the latter was the father of the Ammonites; and both of
them are inhabitants of Celesyria. And such was the departure of
Lot from among the Sodomites.
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