The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 11

19:11. And them, that were without, they struck with blindness from the least to the greatest, so that they could not find the door.

19:12. And they said to Lot: Hast thou here any of thine? son in law, or sons, or daughters, all that are thine bring them out of this city:

19:13. For we will destroy this place, because their cry is grown loud before the Lord, who hath sent us to destroy them.

19:14. So Lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law that were to have his daughters, and said: Arise: get you out of this place, because the Lord will destroy this city. And he seemed to them to speak as it were in jest.

19:15. And when it was morning, the angels pressed him, saying: Arise, take thy wife, and the two daughters that thou hast: lest thou also perish in the wickedness of the city.

19:16. And as he lingered, they took his hand, and the hand of his wife, and of his two daughters, because the Lord spared him.

19:17. And they brought him forth, and set him without the city: and there they spoke to him, saying: Save thy life: look not back, neither stay thou in all the country about: but save thy self in the mountain, lest thou be also consumed.

19:18. And Lot said to them: I beseech thee, my Lord,

19:19. Because thy servant hath found grace before thee, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewn to me, in saving my life, and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil seize me, and I die.

19:20. There is this city here at hand, to which I may flee, it is a little one, and I shall be saved in it: is it not a little one, and my soul shall live?

19:21. And he said to him: Behold also in this, I have heard thy prayers, not to destroy the city for which thou hast spoken.

19:22. Make haste, and be saved there: because I cannot do any thing till thou go in thither. Therefore the name of that city was called Segor.

Segor... That is, a little one.

19:23. The sun was risen upon the earth, and Lot entered into Segor.

19:24. And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

19:25. And he destroyed these cities, and all the country about, all the inhabitants of the cities, and all things that spring from the earth.

19:26. And his wife looking behind her, was turned into a statue of salt.

And his wife... As a standing memorial to the servants of G.o.d to proceed in virtue, and not to look back to vice or its allurements.

19:27. And Abraham got up early in the morning, and in the place where he had stood before with the Lord:

19:28. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrha, and the whole land of that country: and he saw the ashes rise up from the earth as the smoke of a furnace.

19:29. Now when G.o.d destroyed the cities of that country, remembering Abraham, he delivered Lot out of the destruction of the cities wherein he had dwelt.

19:30. And Lot went up out of Segor, and abode in the mountain, and his two daughters with him (for he was afraid to stay in Segor) and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters with him.

19:31. And the elder said to the younger: Our father is old, and there is no man left on the earth, to come in unto us after the manner of the whole earth.

19:32. Come, let us make him drunk with wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

19:33. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the elder went in, and lay with her father: but he perceived not, neither when his daughter lay down, nor when she rose up.

19:34. And the next day the elder said to the younger: Behold I lay last night with my father, let us make him drink wine also to night, and thou shalt lie with him, that we may save seed of our father.

19:35. They made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in, and lay with him: and neither then did he perceive when she lay down, nor when she rose up.

19:36. So the two daughters of Lot were with child by their father.

19:37. And the elder bore a son, and she called his name Moab: he is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

19:38. The younger also bore a son, and she called his name Ammon; that is, the son of my people: he is the father of the Ammonites unto this day.

Genesis Chapter 20

Abraham sojourned in Gerara: Sara is taken into king Abimelech's house, but by G.o.d's commandment is restored untouched.

20:1. Abraham removed from thence to the south country, and dwelt between Cades and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara.

20:2. And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the king of Gerara sent, and took her.

20:3. And G.o.d came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Lo thou shalt die for the woman that thou hast taken: for she hath a husband.

20:4. Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation that is ignorant and just?

20:5. Did not he say to me: She is my sister: and she say, He is my brother? in the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands have I done this.

20:6. And G.o.d said to him: And I know that thou didst it with a sincere heart: and therefore I withheld thee from sinning against me, and I suffered thee not to touch her.

20:7. Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet: and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: but if thou wilt not restore her, know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.

20:8. And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were exceedingly afraid.

20:9. And Abimelech called also for Abraham, and said to him: What hast thou done to us? what have we offended thee in, that thou hast brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done to us what thou oughtest not to do.

20:10. And again he expostulated with him, and said: What sawest thou, that thou hast done this?

20:11. Abraham answered: I thought with myself, saying: Perhaps there is not the fear of G.o.d in this place: and they will kill me for the sake of my wife:

20:12. Howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her to wife.

20:13. And after G.o.d brought me out of my father's house, I said to her: Thou shalt do me this kindness: In every place, to which we shall come, thou shalt say that I am thy brother.

20:14. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara his wife,

20:15. And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please thee.

20:16. And to Sara he said: Behold I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, this shall serve thee for a covering of thy eyes to all that are with thee, and whithersoever thou shalt go: and remember thou wast taken.

20:17. And when Abraham prayed, G.o.d healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children:

20:18. For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech, on account of Sara, Abraham's wife.