laughed in herself, saying, Shall I be prolific after I am past age, my lord being also old? 13. Then the Eternal said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I, being so old, have a child indeed? 14. Is any thing difficult for the Eternal? At the time appointed she shall have a son. 15. And Sa rah, being afraid, denied that she laughed; but he said, Thou didst laugh.. 16. Then they rose, and went toward Sodom, and Abraham accompanied them.

17. And the Eternal said, I will not conceal from my servant Abraham what I am about to do (Psal. xxv. 14.), 18. As he shall surely become a great and mighty nation; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him: 19. For I know, he will command his household after him, to keep the Eternal's law to practice justice and charity; that the Eternal may confer on him what he proposed concerning him.

20. Then the Eternal said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah's wickedness is great, their sin being very grievous, 21. I will descend and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it.

22. Two of the men went towards Sodom, while Abraham stood yet before the Eternal; to whom he approached, 23, And said, 24. Perhaps there are fifty righteous in this city; wilt thou not spare the place for their sake? 25. It is far from thee to destroy the righteous with the wicked-the judge of all the earth will do right.

26. The Eternal said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous, I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27. Abraham said, Lo, I who am but dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the Eternal. 28. If there are but forty-five wilt thou not spare it? And the Eternal said, I will. 29. Abraham yet replied, If there are but forty, wilt thou spare it? And he said, I will for forty. 30. Abraham said, O let not the Eternal be angry, if I speak: perhaps

there will be thirty found in it. And he said, I will spare it for thirty. 31. Abraham again said, perhaps there will be twenty found in it. And he said, I will spare it for twenty. 32. He said, O let not the Eternal be angry, and I will speak but once more: perhaps there will be only ten found in it. And he said, I will spare it for the sake of ten. 33. And the Eternal departed, when he ceased to commune with Abraham, who returned to his place.

CHAP. XIX.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH'S FATE.

WHEN the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, Lot seeing them, as he was sitting in the gate, rose to meet them; and bowing himself before them, 2. He said, My lords, come into your servant's house, I pray you, and bathe your feet, and stay all night, and ye may rise early, and go away. They said, nay, let us abide in the street all night. 3. But having urged them greatly, they came into his house; and he baked unleavened bread, and made them a feast, which they ate.

4. But before they went to bed, the men of Sodom, both old and young, compassed the house. 5. And having called on Lot, they said to him, Where are the men who came into thee this night? bring them out to us, that we may know them. 6. But Lot went out of the door to them, and shut it behind him, 7. And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly: 8. I have two daughters, virgins, whom I would rather give you; but touch not these men, as they came under the shelter of my roof.

9. They bade him begone, saying, This man came here to sojourn, and he would be a judge among us; therefore we will treat thee worse than them. So they pressed hard on Lot, and were coming to break open the door; 10. When the strangers pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the

door; 11. And they struck the men at the door blind, both small and great, so that they laboured in vain to find the door.

12. The men then said to Lot, whomsoever thou hast here, whether sons, daughters, or sons-in-law, whatever thou hast in the city, take out of this place: 13. For we will destroy it, because the cry of their wickedness before the Eternal is become great; therefore he sent us to destroy it.

14. So Lot went out, and spake to his intended sons-in-law, to whom his daughters were betrothed, saying, Let us go quickly out of this place; for the Eternal will destroy this city: but he seemed to them as one that jested.

15. And when the morning arose, the angels urged Lot, saying, Take with thee quickly thy wife and thy two daughters, lest thou be consumed in the punishment of the city. 16. And whilst he delayed, the men took hold of his hand, and his wife's, and his two daughters, and brought them out of the city; the Eternal having compassion on them. 17. And being brought out, one of the angels said, Escape for thy life to the mountain, lest thou be consumed; look not behind thee, neither stay in all the plain.

18. But Lot replied, O my Lord, since thy servant hath obtained thy favour, and thou hast shewn me great mercy, in saving my life, 19. I cannot flee to the mountains, lest some evil may befal me, and I die there: 20. But here is a little city near to flee to, Olet me escape thither that I may live. 21. Then he said, I have granted thee this request, and I will spare it; therefore it was called Zoar (small city). 22. Make haste to flee thither, for I will not do any thing till thou escape.

23. The sun's light sprung out, and shined upon the earth, and Lot entered into Zoar, 24. When the Eternal rained a great tempest of sulphureous fire from heaven on (the bituminous soil of) Sodom

and Gomorrah. 25. And destroyed those cities, with all their inhabitants, and all the plain, with all. that grew on it.

26. Lot's wife also looking back, became a statue of metalic salt. 27. Now Abraham went early to the place where he stood before the Eternal: 28. And looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the plain country, he beheld the smoke of the land arising like that of a furnace. 29. But God remembered Abraham, so as to save Lot from that destruction. 30. But Lot fearing to dwell in Zoar, left it, and dwelt in a cave in the mountain, with his two daughters.

31. [Then the oldest said to her sister, Our father is old, and there is not a man on the earth whereby we may preserve seed after the manner of all the earth (and prevent the human race from being extinct). 32. Let us make our father drink wine, that we may preserve seed of him. 33. And they did so that night; and the oldest went in to him, but he knew not when she went in, nor when she departed. 34. And on the morrow the eldest said to the youngest, I was with my father yesternight, let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in likewise. 35. And they did so; and the younger went in to him; and he perceived not when she went in, nor when she went out. 36. Thus Lot's daughters became prolific by their father; 37. And the oldest had a son, whom she called Moab, from whom the Moabites are denominated. 38. The youngest also had a son whom she called Benami, from whom the Ammonites are named.]

CHAP. XX.

ABRAHAM SOJOURNS IN GERAR.

ABRAHAM removed towards the south country, and sojourned in Gerar, between Kadesh and Shur. 2. And saying, That Sarah his wife was his sister,

Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for her. 3. But in a dream God prevented him, saying, Thou shalt be a dead man because of the woman thou hast taken, for she has a husband. 4. But Abimelech not having touched her, said, O Lord, thou wilt not slay the righteous; 5. He said to me, She is my sister; and she herself said, He is my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands, did I thus: 6. And God said to him, in a dream, I know thou didst it in integrity of thine heart, therefore I withheld thee from sinning against me, not suffering thee to touch her: 7. Now therefore, restore to the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, thou shalt surely die, and all that are thine.

8. Abimelech rose early, and calling all his servants, told them all these things, and the men feared greatly. 9. Then he called Abraham, and said, why hast thou done so to us--what offence have I done thee that thou hast brought me and my king. dom into the danger of a great sin? thou hast done what ought not to be done. 10. He said also, what sawest thou that thou didst this? 11. Abraham replied, Because I thought the fear of God was not in this place, and they would slay me on account of my wife: 12. And yet indeed she is my sister, being my father's daughter, but not my mother's, and she became my wife. 13. And when I was caused to wander from my father's house, and my native land, I requested of her this favour, at every place whither we should come, to call me her brother. 14. Then Abimelech gave to Abraham sheep and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and restored to him Sarah his wife: 15. And he said, My land is before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16. And to Sarah he said, I have given thy brother a thousand shekels (500 crowns) of silver, wherewith he may procure vails for thee, and all thy attendants who are married; thus she was reproved.