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,
24. and the Lord began to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He caused fire and burning sulfur to fall from the sky.
25. He destroyed the whole valley—all the cities, the people living in the cities, and all the plants in the valley.