DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible - Flipbook - Page 42
G enesis 19
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sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty
righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not
spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the
righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous
and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not
the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will
spare the entire city for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further
to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only
forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole
city for lack of five?”
And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find f orty-five righteous
people there.”
29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only
forty?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”
30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—
suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me
continue—suppose there are only twenty?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the
twenty.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak
one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went
on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sod
om. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to
meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.
2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests
for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your
way again.”
“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city
square.”
3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a
feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.
4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old,
came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot,
“Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out
to us so we can have sex with them!”
6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.
7 “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I
have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do
with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my
guests and are under my protection.”
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