14. So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, the men who had married his other daughters. He said, “Hurry and leave this city! The Lord will soon destroy it!” But they thought he was joking.
15. The next morning at dawn, the angels were trying to make Lot hurry. They said, “This city will be punished, so take your wife and your two daughters who are still with you and leave this place. Then you will not be destroyed with the city.”
16. When Lot did not move fast enough, the two men grabbed his hand. They also took the hands of his wife and his two daughters. The two men led Lot and his family safely out of the city. The Lord was kind to Lot and his family.
17. So after the two men brought Lot and his family out of the city, one of the men said, “Now run to save your life! Don’t look back at the city, and don’t stop anywhere in the valley. Run until you are in the mountains. If you stop, you will be destroyed with the city!”
18. But Lot said to the two men, “Sirs, please don’t force me to run so far!
19. You have been very kind to me, your servant. You have been very kind to save me, but I cannot run all the way to the mountains. What if I am too slow and something happens? I will be killed!
20. Look, there is a very small town near here. Let me run to that town. I can run there and be safe.”
21. The angel said to Lot, “Very well, I’ll let you do that. I will not destroy that town.
22. But run there quickly. I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town.” (That town is named Zoar, because it is a small town.)
23. Lot was entering the town as the sun came up,