Genesis 19-21 - Prayer Tents

Genesis 19

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

19That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. 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.H935H8147H4397H5467H6153H3876H3427H8179H5467H3876H7200H6965H7125H7812H639H7762"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."H559H113H5493H5650H1004H3885H7364H7272H7925H1980H1870H559H3885H7339H38853But 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.H6484H3966H5493H935H1004H6213H4960H644H4682H3984But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.H7901H582H5892H582H5467H5437H1004H5437H2205H5288H5971H70975They 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!"H7121H3876H559H582H935H3915H3318H30456So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.H3876H3318H6607H5462H1817H3107"Please, my brothers," he begged, "don't do such a wicked thing.H559H251H74898Look, 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."H8147H1323H3045H376H3318H6213H2896H5869H411H582H6213H408H1697H935H6738H69829"Stand back!" they shouted. "This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he's acting like our judge! We'll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.H559H5066H1973H559H259H935H1481H8199H8199H7489H6484H3966H376H3876H5066H7665H181710But the two angels

reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door.H582H7971H3027H935H3876H1004H5462H181711Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.H5221H582H6607H1004H5575H6996H1419H3811H4672H660712Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. "Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" they asked. "Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else.H582H559H3876H6311H4310H2860H1121H1323H834H5892H3318H472513For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it."H587H7843H853H4725H6818H1431H854H6440H3068H3068H7971H784314So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters' fiances, "Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is about to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking.H3876H3318H1696H2860H3947H1323H559H6965H3318H4725H3068H7843H5892H6711H5869H286015At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!"H3644H7837H5927H4397H213H3876H559H6965H3947H802H8147H1323H4672H5595H5771H589216When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful.H4102H582H2388H3027H3027H802H3027H8147H1323H3068H2551H3318H3240H2351H589217When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, "Run for your lives! And don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!"H3318H2351H559H4422H5921H5315H5027H310H5975H3603H4422H2022H559518"Oh no, my lord!" Lot begged.H3876H559H11319"You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die.H5650H4672H2580H5869H1431H2617H6213H5978H2421H5315H3201H4422H2022H7451H1692H419120See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don't you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."H5892H7138H5127H1931H4705H4422H4705H5315H242121"All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village.H559H2009H5375H6440H1697H2015H5892H834H169622But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there." (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means "little place.")H4116H4422H3201H6213H1697H935H8034H5892H7121H682023Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.H8121H3318H776H3876H935H682024Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.H3068H4305H5467H6017H1614H784H3068H806425He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation.H2015H411H5892H3603H3427H5892H6780H12726But Lot's wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.H802H5027H310H5333H441727Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the LORD's presence.H85H7925H1242H4725H5975H6440H306828He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.H8259H6440H5467H6017H6440H776H3603H7200H7008H776H5927H7008H353629But God had listened to Abraham's request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.H430H7843H5892H3603H430H2142H85H7971H3876H8432H2018H2015H5892H2004H3876H3427

Lot and His Daughters

30Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.H3876H5927H6820H3427H2022H8147H1323H3372H3427H6820H3427H4631H8147H132331One day the older daughter said to her sister, "There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can't get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children.H1067H559H6810H1H2204H376H776H935H1870H77632Come, let's get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father."H3212H8248H1H8248H3196H7901H2421H2233H133So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.H8248H1H8248H3196H3915H1067H935H7901H1H3045H7901H696534The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, "I had sex with our father last night. Let's get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father."H4283H1067H559H6810H7901H570H1H8248H3196H3915H935H7901H2421H2233H135So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.H8248H1H8248H3196H1931H3915H6810H6965H7901H3045H7901H696536As a result, both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their own father.H8147H1323H3876H2029H137When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab

. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites.H1067H3205H1121H7121H8034H4124H1931H1H4124H311738When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi

. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.H6810H3205H1121H7121H8034H1151H1H1121H5983H3117

Genesis 20

Abraham Deceives Abimelech

20Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner,H85H5265H5045H776H3427H6946H7793H1481H16422Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, "She is my sister." So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.H85H559H413H8283H802H269H40H4428H1642H7971H3947H82833But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!"H430H935H40H2472H3915H559H4191H802H3947H1167H11664But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?H40H7126H559H136H2026H6662H14715Didn't Abraham tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'Yes, he is my brother.' I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean."H559H1931H269H1931H1571H1931H559H251H8537H3824H5356H3709H62136In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.H430H559H2472H1571H3045H6213H8537H3824H2820H2398H5414H50607Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don't return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die."H7725H376H802H5030H6419H1157H2421H7725H3045H4191H41918Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified.H40H7925H1242H7121H5650H1696H1697H241H582H3966H33729Then Abimelech called for Abraham. "What have you done to us?" he demanded. "What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done!H40H7121H85H559H6213H2398H935H4467H1419H2401H6213H4639H621310Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?"H40H559H85H4100H7200H6213H169711Abraham replied, "I thought, 'This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.'H85H559H559H7535H3374H430H4725H2026H802H169712And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.H546H269H1323H1H1323H517H80213When God called me to leave my father's home and to travel from place to place, I told her, 'Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.'"H430H8582H1H1004H559H2617H6213H4725H935H559H25114Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him.H40H3947H6629H1241H5650H8198H5414H85H7725H8283H80215Then Abimelech said, "Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live."H40H559H776H6440H3427H2896H586916And he said to Sarah, "Look, I am giving your 'brother' 1,000 pieces of silver

in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared."H8283H559H5414H251H505H3701H3682H5869H319817Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.H85H6419H430H430H7495H40H802H519H320518For the LORD had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham's wife, Sarah.H3068H6113H6113H7358H1004H40H1697H8283H85H802

Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

21The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.H3068H6485H8283H559H3068H6213H8283H16962She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.H8283H2029H3205H85H1121H2208H4150H430H16963And Abraham named their son Isaac.H85H7121H8034H1121H3205H8283H3205H33274Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded.H85H4135H1121H3327H8083H3117H1121H430H66805Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.H85H3967H8141H1121H1121H3327H32056And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter

. All who hear about this will laugh with me.H8283H559H430H6213H6712H8085H67117Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"H559H4448H85H8283H1121H3243H3205H1121H2208

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

8When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion.H3206H1431H1580H85H6213H1419H4960H3117H3327H15809But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac

.H8283H7200H1121H1904H4713H3205H85H671110So she turned to Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won't have it!"H559H85H1644H519H1121H1121H519H3423H1121H332711This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.H1697H3966H3415H85H5869H182H112112But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.H430H559H85H3415H5869H5288H519H8283H559H8085H6963H3327H2233H712113But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar's son because he is your son, too."H1121H519H7760H1471H223314So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar's shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.H85H7925H1242H3947H3899H2573H4325H5414H1904H7760H7926H3206H7971H3212H8582H4057H88415When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush.H4325H3615H4480H2573H7993H3206H259H788016Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards

away. "I don't want to watch the boy die," she said, as she burst into tears.H3212H3427H5048H7368H2909H7198H559H7200H4194H3206H3427H5375H6963H105817But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, "Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.H430H8085H6963H5288H4397H430H7121H1904H8064H559H1904H3372H430H8085H6963H528818Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants."H6965H5375H5288H2388H3027H7760H1419H147119Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.H430H6491H5869H7200H875H4325H3212H4390H2573H4325H8248H5288H824820And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer,H430H5288H1431H3427H4057H7235H719921and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.H3427H4057H6290H517H3947H802H776H4714

Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech

22About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do," Abimelech said.H6256H40H6369H8269H6635H559H85H559H430H621323"Swear to me in God's name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner."H7650H2008H430H8266H5209H5220H2617H6213H6213H776H148124Abraham replied, "Yes, I swear to it!"H85H559H765025Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken by force from Abraham's servants.H85H3198H40H182H875H4325H40H5650H149726"This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech answered. "I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before."H40H559H3045H6213H1697H3808H5046H3808H8085H1115H311727Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.H85H3947H6629H1241H5414H40H8147H3772H128528But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves.H85H5324H7651H3535H662929Abimelech asked, "Why have you set these seven apart from the others?"H40H559H85H2008H7651H3535H532430Abraham replied, "Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well."H559H7651H3535H3947H3027H5668H5713H2658H87531Then he named the place Beersheba (which means "well of the oath"), because that was where they had sworn the oath.H7121H4725H884H7650H814732After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines.H3772H1285H884H40H6965H6369H8269H6635H7725H776H643033Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God

.H5193H815H884H7121H8034H3068H5769H41034And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.H85H1481H6430H776H7227H3117