Study Desk

As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.

Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."

But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."

Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it."

He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."

Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."

Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof."

And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord , and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away."

Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."

Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."

For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.