Genesis · Chapter 19

[ edit] And two aungels comen to Sodom at euen, ſittynge Loþ in þe ȝatis of þe cyte. Þe whiche, whanne he had ſeen hem, roos, and ȝede to mete wiþ hem, and honowride bowide into þe erþe, and ſeide, I prey ȝow, ſyres, bowiþ down into þe hows of ȝoure child, and dwelliþ þere; wayſhiþ ȝoure fete, and erly ȝe ſhal go forþ into ȝoure weye. Þe whiche ſeiden, Nay, but in þe ſtreet we ſhulen dwel. He myche conſtreynede hem, þat þei ſhulden turne to hym. And hem goon into his hows, he made a feeſt, ſeþede þerf breed, and þei eten.

Forſoþe bifore þat þei ſhulden go to leggen, men of þe cytee ſetten abowt his hows, fro child to oold man, al þe puple to gider; and þei clepeden Loþ, and ſeiden to hym, Where ben þe men þat comen in to þee at nyȝt? lede hem out hidir, þat we knowen hem. Loþ gon oute to hem bihynde þe rigge, and tyndynge to þe dore, ſeiþ, Wole ȝe not, I preye, my briþeren, wole ȝe not þis yuel don. I haue two douȝtren, þe whiche ȝit knewen not man; I ſhal lete hem out to ȝow, and mys vſiþ hem as it ſhal like to ȝow, ſo þat ȝe don no þing of yuel to þes men, for þei ben comun ynne vndur þe ſhadew of my roof. And þei ſeiden, Go aȝen þider.

And eftſonys, Þow art comen in, þei ſeiden, as a comelyng; wheþer þat þow deme? þee þi ſilf þanne more þan þes we ſhulen ouertraueyl. And foors þei maden to Loþ mooſt hidowſly. Now nyȝ it was þat þei ſhulden vp breke þe ȝatis; and lo! þe men putten to hoonde, and brouȝten into hem Loþ, and cloſeden þe dore. And hem þat weren wiþ out þei ſmyten wiþ blyndnes, fro þe leeſt vnto þe mooſt; ſo þat þe dore þei myȝten not fynde. And þei ſeiden to Loþ, Haſt þow here eny man of þin, ſone in lawe, or ſones, or douȝtres; alle þat ben þin lede out of þis citee, we ſhulen do awey þis place, þerþurȝ þat þe cry of hem is ful encreſid bifore þe Lord, þe which ſende vs þat we leſen hem.

And ſo Loþ gon out, ſpake to his ſonys in lawe, þe whiche weren to take his douȝteres, and he ſeide, Riſiþ, and goþ out fro þis place, for þe Lord ſhal do aweie þis cite. And he was ſeen to hem as pleiynge to ſpeke. And whanne was morutyde, þe aungels conſtreyneden hym, ſeiynge, Aryſe, and take þi wijf, and þi two dowȝtrys, þat þow haſt, leſt and þow wiþ periſhe in þe wickidnes of þe citee. And hym denyinge, þei token þe honde of hym, and þe honde of þe wijf, and of þe two dowȝtren of hym; þer þurȝ þat þe Lord wolde ſpare to hym. And þei ledden hym out, and puttiden hym out of þe cyte.

Þere þei ſpeken to hym, ſeiynge, Saue þi ſoule; wole þow not bihold bihynde þi bak, and ſtonde þow not in al þe regioun about, but in þe hille make þee ſaf, leſt and þow wiþ periſhe. And Loþ to hem ſeide, My lord, I biſeche, for þi ſeruaunt haþ foundun grace bifore þee, and þow haſt magnyfied grace and þi mercy, þat þow haſt don wiþ me, þat þow ſauediſt my ſoule; I may not in þe hil be ſauyd, leſt perauenture yuel take me, and die; þere is a cite here nyȝ a litle, to which Y may fle, and I ſhal be ſaf in it; wheþer it is not litel? and my ſoule ſhal lyue in it.

And he ſeide to hym, Lo! in þat I haue take þi preieris, þat I ſubuerte not þe citee for þe which þow haſt ſpokun; hye, and be þow maad ſaf þere, for I ſhal not mow do eny þing to þe tyme þat þow be gon yn þidir. Þerfore þe name of þat citee is clepid Segor. Þe ſunne is gon out vpon þe erþe, and Loþ is gon in to Segor. Þanne þe Lord reynede vpon Sodom and Gomor brenſtoon and fier, fro þe Lord fro heuene, and he ſubuertide þes citees, and al þe regioun about, alle dwellerys of citees, and alle growynge þingis of þe erþe. And þe wijf of hym, biholdynge bihynde her, was turned into an ymage of ſalt.

Abraham forſoþe aryſynge eerly, where he ſtode biforehond wiþ þe Lord, bihelde Sodom and Gomor, and al þe erþe of þat regioun; and ſaw a multitude of ſparkis ſteiynge vp fro þe erþe, as ſmook of a furneys. Whan forſoþe God had ſubuertid þe citees of þat regioun, he recordide of Abraham, and dylyueride Loþ fro þe ſubuerſioun of citees in whiche he had dwellid. And Loþ ſtiede vp fro Segor, and dwellid in þe hil, and hys two dowȝtris wiþ hym, forſoþe he dredde to dwel in Segor; and he dwellide in a ſpelunc, or a den, he and his two dowȝterys wiþ hym.

And þe more ſeide vnto þe leſſe, Our fadir is old, and noon of þe men is left in þe lond, þat myȝten gon into vs, after þe maner of al londe; come, and make we hym drunkun wiþ wyne, and ſlepe we wiþ hym, þat we mown kepe þe ſeed of oure fadir. And ſo þei ȝauen to her fadir to drynk wyne þat nyȝt, and þe more was gon yn, and ſlept wiþ þe fadir; and he felide noþer whan þe dowȝter ley down, ne whan ſhe aroos. And þe toþer day þe more ſeide to þe laſſe, Lo! ȝiſtirday I ſlept wiþ my fadir, ȝyue we hym to drynk wyne alſo þis nyȝt, and þow ſhalt ſlepe wiþ hym, þat we ſauen þe ſeed of oure fadir.

And þei ȝauen alſo þat nyȝt to her fadir wyne for to drynk, and þe leſſe gon ynne ſlept wiþ hym; and noþer þan forſoþe he felide whan he lay bi hir, or whan ſhe aroos. Þanne conſeyueden þe two dowȝtris of Loþ of her fader. And þe more bare a ſone, and clepide þe name of hym Moab; he is þe fadir of Moabytes vnto þe day þat is now. And þe leſſe bare a ſone, and clepid þe name of hym Amon, þat is, þe ſone of my puple; he is þe fadir of Amonytes ȝit to þis day.