Then Abraham in haste laid his cheek on the earth, and with scorn turned over these words in his mind, the thoughts of his heart: at that period of time he himself 2340 did not believe that Sarra, his grey-haired bride, could bring a son into the world to him; he knew well that his wife had already numbered at least one hundred winters, by actual reckoning. So then, wise in years, he spoke 2345 thus to the Lord:

"May Ismael live according to Thy commandments, Lord, and give thee thanks with wise and steady mind and stout heart, doing Thy will day and night in word 2350 and deed!"

Then the Almighty King and Everlasting Lord an- swered him fairly:

"Though much worn in years, Sarra shall bring a son into the world to thee; the future shall truly proceed in 2355 accordance with these words here p.r.o.nounced. I will now bless with my grace Ismael, as thou art pet.i.tioner, for thy first born, so that he may dwell many days in the kingdom of this world with spreading progeny; be thou 2360 sure of that! But Isaac thy son, the young child who has not yet come into the world, I will distinguish ex- ceedingly with abundance of joys and every kind of riches, in his days, and certainly leave in his heart my 2365 pledge and holy faith, and be kind to him."

Abraham did as the Eternal bade him, set the sign of peace on his son, by the Lord's command, and bade 2370 every one of his household of the male s.e.x bear that high sign,--wise in heart, and mindful of the pledge which G.o.d had given him as a.s.surance of good faith,-- and then himself received the exalted sign. The Lord 2375 and Just King continually advanced his glory in the kingdom of this world, with blessings: He wrought this for him as soon as he might first perform the will of his Master in [every] expedition....[31]

Then the woman laughed at the Lord of Mankind not 2380 at all mirthfully, but full of years she laid away this promise in her mind with much scorn: she did not believe it true that the fulfilment of this promise was to follow. But when the Ruler of Heaven heard that the 2385 wife of Abraham had given way to hopeless laughter, in her bower, then the Holy G.o.d said:

"Sarra will not believe in the truth of my word: nevertheless this decree shall be fulfilled, as I promised 2390 thee at first. I tell thee truth, at this very season a son shall be born of thy wife: when I return to this same dwelling another time, then shall my promise of increase be fulfilled: thou shalt look upon a son, thine own child, 2395 dear Abraham!"

XXIX.

Then at once, after this speech, they departed with speed, eager to be gone; from the place of the confer- ence, the holy spirits made their way (the power[32] of 2400 light itself was in their midst!) until they could look upon Sodom, the lofty city: they saw palaces tower up above treasures, halls above red gold. Then the right- eous Ruler of the skies began to speak with Abraham, 2405 gave him no little information.

"In this city I hear tumult, the din of sinners ex- ceedingly loud, the vain-glory of those drunk with ale; evil speech have the people, behind their walls: for the 2410 sins of the race, of the treacherous apostates, are heavy.

I will now find out what the men are doing, O man of the Hebrews, [to see] whether they [actually] commit sins so grossly in their habits and thoughts as they perversely speak of crimes and vices: sulphur and black 2415 flame, sorely and grimly, hotly and vehemently, shall avenge this on the heathenish people."

x.x.x.

The men with their wives were approaching their punishment, sufferings within their walls: arrogant in riches, they requited the Lord for their prosperity with 2420 insult, until the Protector of spirits, the Source of Light and Life, would tolerate their offence no longer: but to them the steadfast King sent two strong messengers of his, who arrived at eventide at the fortress of Sodoma, 2425 in their traveling. At the city-gate they found the warrior, the son of Aron, sitting by himself, so that they appeared before the eyes of the wise man as young men.

Then the servant of the Lord arose before the spirits, 2430 went forward to greet the strangers civilly, thought their demeanor very proper and agreeable, and invited the men to be his guests for the night. The n.o.ble messengers of our Preserver answered him thus:

"For the courtesy which you have extended to us, 2435 accept our thanks. In this street we expect quietly to wait for the time when the Lord shall let the sun [go] forth again for the morning."

Then humbly Loth[33] bowed at the feet of the strangers 2440 and eagerly offered them the repose and refreshments and shelter and service of his dwelling. They accepted thankfully the benevolence of the good man, and followed him forthwith inside his walls, as the Hebrew chieftain invited them. There in his hall the generous wise- 2445 souled man gave them fair hospitality, until twilight departed: then came night, after the close of day, and veiled with darkness the lake-streams, seas, and broad 2450 land, and [all] the pomp of this life. Then the men of Sodoma came, young and old, hateful to G.o.d, to demand the strangers, with a great throng so that they surrounded 2455 Loth and his guests by the mult.i.tude of their force; they bade [him] lead out of the lofty hall the holy mess- engers [and put] the men in their power; they said openly in words that they would have intercourse with the men shamefully, and had no regard for decency. Then 2460 Loth, who often knew what was best, quickly arose in his house, and went out at once; and the son of Aron, mindful of his cunning, spoke thus over all the ma.s.s of people:

"Here are within two spotless [maidens], my daughters: 2465 neither of these damsels knows intercourse as yet through sleeping with a man: do then as I bid you, and cease from this sin. I give them both to you, before you commit this vileness against nature, heinous evil against 2470 the sons of men. Receive these maidens and let my guests go free, since I will defend them against you as well as I can, before G.o.d!"

Thereupon the crowd, the shameless race, answered 2475 him through common consent:

"It seems very right and fitting that thou shouldst depart out of this neighborhood, thou who bereft of friends and with the step of an exile soughtest this people from afar, in thy need: wilt thou, if thou mayst, be our 2480 ruler here, the teacher of the people?"

Then I heard of Loth how the heathen ma.s.ses gripped him with their hands, with hostile grasp: his guests aided him well and the righteous strangers drew him 2485 out of the clutches of the enemy back within the walls, and then speedily closed fast the eyesight of every one of the people of Sodoma standing around: the whole 2490 crowd of citizens forthwith became blind; nor could they, in their evil rage, break into the house after the guests, as they intended, but the messengers of G.o.d were [too] active for them; the stranger had power, irre- 2495 sistible vigor, and was very severe upon the people in [inflicting] punishment. Then the dear ministers of peace spoke fairly to Loth, in these words:

"If thou hast a son, or dear relative, or any friend among these people besides these maidens whom we see 2500 here, lead out of this city those who are dear to thee, with great haste, and save thine own life, lest thou perish with these law-breakers. For the Lord has commanded us, because of the people's sins, to give over Sodoma and 2505 Gomorra to black flame and fire, and to slay these people, [striking] the race in their cities with deadly horrors, and so wreak His wrath [upon them]. It has nearly reached the appointed time. Set out on thy way, to save thy life: the Lord is merciful to thee...."[34] 2510

Loth then hastily answered them:

"I cannot, with these womenfolk, seek my safety so far from here in a journey on foot. You manifest to me kindness and fair friendship, you grant me grace 2515 and good-will. I know a lofty town near here, a little fortress: leave me there, in honor and peace, so that we may seek safety above, in Sigor. If you will protect that 2520 lofty fastness from the fire, we can abide in that place unharmed, in safety, and so preserve our lives."

Then the righteous angels answered him benevol- 2525 ently:

"Thou shalt be successful in this pet.i.tion, now thou speakest about that city: withdraw immediately to that fastness. We shall keep thee in peace and safety. We must not wreak the wrath of G.o.d upon these law- 2530 breakers and destroy the sinful race, before thou hast led thy children and wife likewise into Saegor."

Then the kinsman of Abraham set out for the fastness: the chieftain did not spare the pace for his womenfolk, 2535 but he pushed his steps most hastily until he had brought his wife and children to the citadel of Saegor. When the sun rose, [when] the peaceful luminary of the nations went forth, then, I have heard, the Master of Glory sent 2540 sulphur out of heaven, and swart flame for the punish- ment of men, swelling fire, since they had offended the Lord for a long period in former days: thus the Ruler of spirits gave them retribution. Utmost terror seized upon 2545 the heathen race: tumult arose in the city, the outcry of the accursed race over shameful death, just beginning.

The flame seized upon all that it found green, in the rich city, just as around outside no small portion of the broad 2550 earth was filled with conflagration and terror: trees and earth's harvests turned to ashes and embers, even as far as the avenging curse direly extended over the 2555 broad country of the people. The devastating fire rushing on in tumult devoured all things together, far and wide, that men had owned in the cities of Sodoma and Gomorra: all this, together with the people, G.o.d 2560 the Lord destroyed.

When Loth's wife, his bride in the city, heard the din of fire, the death of the people, then she looked back- ward [to see] this devastation. The Scriptures tell us that she immediately turned into the likeness of a pillar of salt: ever since then this statue has stood there 2565 motion less (this is a strange story), where she incurred this severe penalty because she would not obey the ministers of glory in their commands: now, stiff and erect, she will have to await her doom in that place, at 2570 the Lord's Judgment Day, when the world has com- pleted its [allotted] number of years. This is one of the miracles which the King of Glory has wrought.

x.x.xI.

Then Abraham went forth alone, at dawn, so that he 2575 again stood in the place where the pious leader had formerly spoken with his Lord in words. He saw the reek of death and destruction ascending widely from the earth. Riches and feasting preoccupied [the people]

to such an extent that they had become bold in wicked 2580 deeds, eager for sin: they forgot the Truth and G.o.d's commandments, and who had given them prosperity and wealth in their cities; therefore the King of the Angels sent his fervid fire to punish them. Our faithful 2585 Lord then remembered Abraham mercifully, the dear man, as he often had done, and saved his kinsman, Loth, when the mult.i.tude perished. The [latter] hero, famed for his deeds, did not dare to tarry longer in the strong- 2590 hold for fear of the Lord, but Loth departed from the city with his children to seek a dwelling-place far from the place of slaughter, until they found a cave in the side of a high dune: there the pious Loth, dear to his 2595 Lord, dwelt in righteousness for a great number of days, with his two daughters....[35]

They did thus with the drunken man: ... the elder of the two went first to her father's bed. Nor did the 2600 venerable man know when the two maidens ... were with him in the manner of a bride, fast bound [as he was] in heart, mind, and memory, drunken with wine, 2605 so that he could not escape the enterprise of the maidens.

The young women became pregnant, and the devoted sisters brought men-children into the world, sons to their old father. One of these n.o.ble children was called Moab by his mother, that daughter of Loth who was the 2610 elder in years of life; the Scriptures tell us, the sacred Books, that the younger called her son Ammon. From these princes sprang numberless people, the glories of 2615 two nations: one of these nations all earth-dwellers call Moabites, a widely famed race; the other, men and sons of heroes call Ammonites.

x.x.xII.

Then the brother of Aron set out with his wife to take 2620 his possessions and his household to Abimelech. Abra- ham told all men that Sarra was his sister, [and] thus preserved his life by his words: he knew very well that 2625 he had few relatives and friends among that people.

Then the king sent his ministers and bade them bring to him [the wife of Abraham].[36] Thus for the second time in a foreign land, the wife of Abraham was taken 2630 from her husband to the embrace of a stranger. Then the eternal Lord a.s.sisted him, as he had often done: our Preserver came himself by night to where the king lay drunken with wine. Thereupon the Lord of Truth 2635 began to speak to the king through a dream, and threat- ened him in wrath:

"Thou hast taken Abraham's wife, his bride from the hero; for that deed death shall tear thy soul from thy breast!"

To him thus the sinner, gorged with feasting, replied 2640 in his sleep:

"What! Wilt Thou ever, High King of the Angels, through thy wrath let him be deprived of life who lives 2645 here in righteous habits, [who] in his counsel is upright in mind, and who asks mercy of Thyself? In her own words, unasked, this woman told me first that she was 2650 Abraham's sister. I have not sinned against her, nor wrought any evil at all, up to this time!"

Then again the Eternal Lord and True G.o.d spoke to him straightway through that dream:

"Give back this woman to Abraham, his wife, into 2655 his possession, if thou wishest for life any longer in this world, as protector of the n.o.bles. He is good and wise, and may himself speak with [G.o.d] and see the King of Glory. Thou shalt die, with thy flocks and thy sub- stance, if thou deniest his wife to the warrior: if he will 2660 at once honestly and patiently prefer to me thy earnest wishes, he may obtain his request that I yet allow thee living to enjoy pleasures and prosperity in thy days, 2665 [allow thee] in sound health [to enjoy thy] riches."

Then the keeper of the people broke forth from sleep, bade his councillors come to him; shaken with terror, Abimeleh quickly told the n.o.bles the word of the Master.

The men dreaded [as retribution] for this deed, blows 2670 from the hand of the Lord in accordance with the dream.

The king himself bade them bring Abraham before him, in great haste. Then the ruler of the kingdom spoke:

"Man of the Ebrews! this wilt thou now tell me in 2675 words: what have I done that, since thou broughtest thy possessions into this country among us, Abraham, thou hast thus bitterly contrived a plot against me?

Thou, a foreigner, wouldst deceive us in this country 2680 with evil and pollute us with sin: thou saidest in plain words that Sarra was thy sister, thy blood relation; through that woman thou wouldst have foully put upon me sin, measureless evil! We received thee honorably, 2685 and in friendship gave thee a dwelling-place among this people, land at thy pleasure: now thou makest return and thankest us [most] ungratefully for our favors!"