Sodom, Fire and Brimstone P. 1

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:00:04 Speaker 2: So close to Sodom. 00:00:06 Speaker 3: Are you sure? I think, uh, I think the proximity of the city would prove, uh, useful to me. 00:00:14 Speaker 4: Yeah, useful. 00:00:15 Speaker 3: Be careful near those cities. 00:00:18 Speaker 2: I fear the influence of their culture is more dangerous than their spears. 00:00:22 Speaker 5: But I hear that the lands in Canaan are untamed, and there are fortunes to be had if you're bold enough to take it. Wealth you can't even imagine. Wealth that would put Ur and Haran to shame. 00:00:36 Speaker 6: The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense. The victims of this terrible wickedness plead for justice. The sin of both Sodom and Gomorrah is extremely serious. 00:00:50 Speaker 4: Yes, my lord. Your judgment will be carried out according to your will. 00:00:54 Speaker 6: My lord... Would you have us continue on our way? 00:00:59 Speaker 1: Yes. 00:01:00 Speaker 6: Go ahead of me and scout out the city. See what you make of it and its inhabitants. 00:01:06 Speaker 2: My God, will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 00:01:11 Speaker 1: After Abraham's God departed to see about Sodom, Abraham walked for a long time on his own, processing what was to come. He knew his God was right in his authority and right in his judgment. But when he thought of those who were oppressed and abused by the wickedness of Sodom, for this was the need for justice, Abram had to acknowledge that his heart was still broken. 00:01:36 Speaker 3: You've heard the stories, right? Our distant relatives, the line of Ham. They're cursed, Abram, cursed! And yet there they are, sitting in seats of power. And then there's me. I don't want to just be another name, Abram. Just another name in a long, endless list of men for the line of Noah. 00:01:59 Speaker 1: This episode of The Chosen People contains explicit content that may be triggering for some listeners and inappropriate for young children. Listener discretion is advised. The day had been sweltering, and even though the evening was nearing, tensions still ran hot. Sweat beaded on Lot's forehead, and he could even feel droplets sliding down the back of his neck into his tunic. The two men before him were nearly nose-to-nose, Their angry shouts reverberated off the stone walls of the gate. 00:02:32 Speaker 3: Brothers, please, lower your voices. The entire city doesn't need to know your business. 00:02:38 Speaker 4: Maybe they should know. 00:02:40 Speaker 7: Yes, they should know Durak is a snake, and doing business with him will only leave you bleeding. 00:02:48 Speaker 4: Oh, don't be so naive, Shovar. 00:02:51 Speaker 8: You can play the victim all you want, but even a child could tell you that the price you gave. 00:02:56 Speaker 3: Was too low. 00:02:58 Speaker 2: That's your excuse for lying through your teeth. 00:03:00 Speaker 8: Running to weep into the skirts of a city judge is your response. 00:03:05 Speaker 3: Be a man, Shovar. 00:03:07 Speaker 8: You should have offered more, or known I would find another buyer. 00:03:11 Speaker 3: You used my price to drive up the other bids. We had an understanding. We had no such thing. There were witnesses. 00:03:18 Speaker 8: And how much are you paying them to back your story? 00:03:21 Speaker 2: Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did no such thing, and I would never need to do. 00:03:28 Speaker 4: Such a thing. 00:03:29 Speaker 8: You're a cheap man who needs to pay for friends, as well as a snitch. 00:03:34 Speaker 3: This is the only friend I need. 00:03:37 Speaker 1: Shovar flashed a blade, and Durak followed suit. Both men were poised and ready to strike. 00:03:43 Speaker 3: Brothers, that's enough! I've heard what I need to hear. 00:03:47 Speaker 7: And? 00:03:49 Speaker 3: I side with you, Shavar. 00:03:52 Speaker 8: Ha! 00:03:52 Speaker 3: See, Durak? 00:03:53 Speaker 4: What? 00:03:54 Speaker 3: Flot, you can't be serious. Yes, Durak. You will pay for a fine for breaking your agreement with Shavar. 00:04:01 Speaker 8: This is outrageous, Flot, and you know it. I don't know what kind of business you ran in Haran, but am I not entitled to get the best price for my buyers? 00:04:10 Speaker 3: But you had an agreement. You broke your word. 00:04:14 Speaker 8: What do words matter when it comes to money? Any businessman worth his salt would tell you that. 00:04:20 Speaker 2: I suppose it pays to have the judgment of the law on your side. 00:04:24 Speaker 4: More like a bleeding-heart Hebrew. 00:04:27 Speaker 8: Where do you get off on this nonsense about word and honor? 00:04:31 Speaker 3: Enough! The matter is settled. It's the end of the day. 00:04:36 Speaker 1: Go home. 00:04:37 Speaker 3: I'm sure we all have matters to attend to. 00:04:40 Speaker 8: This isn't over, Lot. 00:04:42 Speaker 3: Mark my words. I'll remember this. 00:04:46 Speaker 1: Durak slunk off into the crowd in the direction of the wealthiest part of the city. The part of the city Lot not so secretly longed to be. Lot had done well for himself in the years since his abduction and the invasion of the city. Sodom had rebuilt and resumed its commerce... and Lot had ensured he was a part of it. He no longer resided in his caravan outside the city, but within its walls, and held the position of a judge. 00:05:14 Speaker 6: Never again would. 00:05:15 Speaker 1: Lot not have a stone wall at his back or a heavily guarded gate before him. Despite the comforts and securities he had worked tirelessly to obtain, Lot still awoke screaming and sweating to nightmares of clanging spears and bloodied knives being held to his throat. Rogues like Durag he could stomach. Sodom had no shortage of cases to be heard here at the city gate. His wealth and his connection to his uncle Abram, the war hero, or Abraham as he was now called, had brought him influence and favor with the city officials. Judging the back dealings and corruption of the city helped quiet his fears of inadequacy and helped him reclaim what was left of his pride. Lot had finally achieved his dream the one of legacy and destiny he spoke of to his uncle in his grandfather's house all those years ago. It wasn't anything like he thought it would be, and so much had happened that he had not anticipated, but he supposed that was the way of dreams. 00:06:19 Speaker 4: And so he. 00:06:20 Speaker 1: Shrouded himself in the air of importance and hid behind not only the city walls, but also his righteousness. Lot found it advantageous to follow in his uncle's footsteps and play the part of the holy man, a man of faith. He found it gave him an edge over the other civic leaders, and he found that the more responsibility shifted his way, the more pious and respected he became. Lot didn't know whether to thank Abraham's God or his own shrewdness for his rise. In his heart of hearts, he thanked himself. 00:06:55 Speaker 4: You know he won't forget this, Lot. 00:06:57 Speaker 1: Shovar's words brought Lot out of his reverie and back to the present. 00:07:02 Speaker 3: Eh, I'm sure he won't. But that's future Lot's concern. He can be my headache another day. Well, you have my. 00:07:09 Speaker 4: Thanks, Lot. 00:07:10 Speaker 7: And I'll need to think of ways I can, uh, show you my thanks. And perhaps keep you in my good graces for any future cases that might come to your gate. 00:07:22 Speaker 1: Lot cringed slightly. Some customs in Sodom he would never get used to. Before Lot could deny Shovar's offer, he noticed two last travellers were passing through the outer gates up ahead. They were being questioned by the men on watch, who seemed eager to move them along, so they could close the gates and change out the guard for the night. Shovar followed Lot's gaze and saw what drew his attention. 00:07:47 Speaker 4: Well, well, well. 00:07:50 Speaker 2: These men are no ordinary travellers. Their clothes and appearance are not fashionable in these parts. 00:07:57 Speaker 4: But they are quite handsome. 00:08:02 Speaker 2: They will surely attract a lot of attention in town. Who do you suppose they are? 00:08:11 Speaker 3: Eh, I don't know. I think you're right. Yeah, they are peculiar. I mean, look at them. No saddlebags, no mounts. I mean, they've got to have some sort of servants or a larger company staying outside the walls, right? They seem like men of importance. Dignitaries, maybe. Or maybe merchants. You know, my uncle, he was visited by a king once. And let me tell you, he carried himself just like this. 00:08:42 Speaker 2: Perhaps this will be my first gesture of gratitude for your favorable ruling earlier. 00:08:49 Speaker 4: You should host them. 00:08:51 Speaker 2: And I would offer quickly before Durak catches word that there are new merchants in town. He'd swoop in and steal their business with our second fault. 00:09:01 Speaker 3: Oh, yes, yes, yes. Good idea, Shovar. Very good idea. I'll take your suggestion, really. Thank you. And I look forward to our dealings in the future. Honorable men like you and me, we gotta stick together. 00:09:16 Speaker 4: Indeed. 00:09:17 Speaker 2: We may be the very last ones in the city of Sodom. 00:09:20 Speaker 4: Thank you. 00:09:23 Speaker 1: Lot laughed good-naturedly as he hurried to meet the distinguished men just clearing the city gatehouse. He bowed respectfully before them. 00:09:32 Speaker 3: My lords, be welcome to the city of Sodom, the pride of the great cities of the plain. Please, allow me to be your host while you stay here in these walls. My name is Lot, son of Haran of the line of Shem. 00:09:49 Speaker 4: So you are, and you are the nephew of Abraham. a follower of the God Almighty. 00:09:56 Speaker 3: Ah, yes, yes, certainly. I am a faithful follower, my lords, of course. 00:10:03 Speaker 4: And you are a city official here. 00:10:06 Speaker 6: You have come to not only reside, but represent the city. 00:10:10 Speaker 1: Lot blinked at the non-question. He also waited for the men to offer their own names in kind, but none came. 00:10:18 Speaker 4: Ah, I. 00:10:19 Speaker 3: I am, my lord. 00:10:21 Speaker 1: Again, they offered up no further information and asked nothing of Lot. They took his measure for a long moment. Lot could feel the cheeks under his beard turn pink at the stares this stilted conversation was drawing from the smattering of people gathered along the stone benches lining the gated walkway. The two mysterious men then inclined their heads respectfully and made to turn and leave. 00:10:47 Speaker 3: My lords, please tell me, where do you plan to stay here in the city? 00:10:52 Speaker 4: In the city square. 00:10:55 Speaker 1: Lot could feel the growing curiosity of Onlookers and felt the need to redouble his efforts as the accommodating host of his city. 00:11:02 Speaker 6: The square? 00:11:03 Speaker 7: Oh, no, no, no, no. 00:11:04 Speaker 3: That will not do. Please, my lord, you must turn aside from your current plans and allow me to be your host, your servant. I will have you stay at my house, wash your feet, spend the night. Then you can get up early, sure, go on your way, no problem. But I can't, I won't have you stay the night in the square when I can wait on you personally. It's just not right. 00:11:30 Speaker 6: The city square is enough for us. We want to take in the city while we're here. 00:11:36 Speaker 3: You won't take in the city. The city will take in you. I assure you, the city can't, can't offer you the hospitality that I can. I mean my wife. She's a fantastic cook. She oversees the most skilled cooks, the best servants in the land. Even now, I bet they're preparing the evening meal. I'll order them to prepare meat, good meats, and extravagant courses, so you'll taste the finest food, drink the best wine this region has to offer. Our land? Oh, it's well-watered and fertile, very fertile. The crops are unparalleled. Listen, listen, I know you've traveled far, but I humbly boast you'll want for nothing after a feast in my household. How can you say no to this offer? You can't! You just can't! 00:12:32 Speaker 4: I suppose we cannot. Lead the way. 00:12:37 Speaker 1: Lot couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt as he led the men through the streets of the city. Shovar was right about one thing. They certainly drew a lot of attention. Their fine clothes and exotic handsome features drew the eyes of many, double takes and even open stares from both women and men. True to his word, Lot and his household sprang into action and pulled together a great feast for these mysterious, distinguished guests. Lot was determined to serve them in a manner that befitted his role as a city judge. If he were able to secure their trust... and their business as well. Then no one could argue that he did not belong here, or that his uncle paved the way for him. 00:13:23 Speaker 4: To be here. 00:13:24 Speaker 5: You must tell us, what sort of merchants are you? Lot can help you learn all the players here in Sodom if you're looking to set up shop. 00:13:30 Speaker 4: We are not merchants. 00:13:33 Speaker 3: Oh, I see. 00:13:34 Speaker 5: Have you been to this region before? I'm sure fine men such as yourself have traveled far and wide. It was much the same when we were settled in Haran. 00:13:43 Speaker 4: And Ur before that. We have been many places. 00:13:48 Speaker 5: Your wives must come with you next time you feast with us. I would love to meet them, and the same for my daughters. 00:13:54 Speaker 4: We do not have wives. 00:13:57 Speaker 5: Well, that is most surprising. I would offer you one of my daughters if they were not promised already. They are to marry the sons of a very prominent city official. We're in the throes of arranging the wedding. I have been working tirelessly. You could not imagine the intricacies. But it is a labor of love. My daughters, Keziah and Milka, deserve nothing less. 00:14:20 Speaker 3: And they will make lovely brides. 00:14:24 Speaker 5: Thank you, Father. Yes, thank you, Father. And the match will be most beneficial for both our houses. Of course, there's our noble line. We can trace our family history back to Noah, if you can believe that, through his son Shem. Our family was among some of the most prosperous in Ur, and when we settled in Haran, our fortune only grew. And now Sodom. My husband Lot finds success wherever he goes. We're most eager to join our house with the nobility and wealth of this land. Who knows what the future will hold for this family. 00:14:57 Speaker 1: Lot's wife carried the conversation for the rest of the meal, hardly noticing the scant contribution from the visitors. Lot found it a little strange that they were so withholding, but perhaps it would take time to earn their trust. And they were guests under his roof. which placed them in a higher place of honor and respect than even his family, according to the customs of their land. Lot was so unattuned to the presence of God that he hadn't noticed what Abraham noticed. He did not recognize the divinity veiled behind their handsome faces, or the authority vibrating from their voices as they spoke. Lot was too consumed with self to see what was right in front of him. When the household began to settle in for the evening and the servants were taking away the remnants of their meal, Lot heard a familiar voice shouting from the street. 00:15:52 Speaker 8: Hey, hey, hey, let's go see Lot and his stupid friends. 00:15:59 Speaker 4: You sing in the city and stuff. 00:16:02 Speaker 7: Lot! 00:16:04 Speaker 8: Who is it you're hosting in there? 00:16:07 Speaker 2: Who are those pretty men you're keeping all to yourself? 00:16:10 Speaker 4: You. 00:16:11 Speaker 8: You treat these strangers like kings and then steal money from my very hands. 00:16:18 Speaker 4: You would turn your back on those. 00:16:20 Speaker 8: Who built and rebuilt this city in favor of foreigners. 00:16:26 Speaker 2: Foreign birds flock together. 00:16:29 Speaker 3: Maybe we should make sure they aren't spies. 00:16:33 Speaker 8: Send them out to us so we can question them. 00:16:38 Speaker 2: I'll hold them down so you can find out. 00:16:41 Speaker 3: I'll be sure to leave one for you, Cosim. I won't deny you the enjoyment of taking. 00:16:48 Speaker 4: One of them. 00:16:50 Speaker 3: They're so fair, fine figures of men. Durek, will you want a turn, too? We'll let you pick the one you want. 00:17:01 Speaker 1: Horrified at both what they were saying and how loudly they were saying it, Lot ran to the front door and into the street, slamming the door firmly behind him as if that could drown out the crude jeering. Seconds later, drunken knocks pounded against the door. Lot could smell the wine on their breath from the doorway and see the glassy lust in their eyes through cracks in the wood. They meant to defile his guests and humiliate them. And by extension, him. 00:17:28 Speaker 3: Brothers, please don't do this. What you're suggesting, it's evil. It's foul. Who even told you about my guests, huh? 00:17:37 Speaker 4: Who are you to say what's foul? 00:17:42 Speaker 8: You paraded them through town for all to see. And you think my man Kazim wouldn't tell me of your comings and goings? 00:17:52 Speaker 3: I have eyes all over the city, Lord. 00:17:56 Speaker 2: You don't realize what a powerful enemy you've made here today, Lot. 00:18:01 Speaker 3: Now, don't make us ask again. Hand over your pretty guests. 00:18:10 Speaker 1: Lot's stomach turned as the man grabbed himself in a vile gesture. There was no mistaking his intentions with Lot's guests. 00:18:18 Speaker 3: Look, look, I have two daughters, virgins. I'll hand them over to you instead, but you'll not take these names. They are my guests, and therefore under my protection. Cannot mean to violate their rights. Has madness taken you over? 00:18:35 Speaker 4: Get out of my way! 00:18:37 Speaker 8: Of course you claim guest rights. You're always hiding under the protection of propriety. 00:18:49 Speaker 4: To you, the law and the image of honor is everything. 00:18:54 Speaker 2: You flaunt around like a host when you're a mere foreigner in our land. You can play at being a judge all you want, but you'll always be an outsider. 00:19:06 Speaker 3: We should take him, too. 00:19:09 Speaker 4: Aye, I like that plan. Initiation, if you will. 00:19:16 Speaker 3: Make him a real sodomite. 00:19:18 Speaker 2: Lord, if you don't get out of our way. 00:19:22 Speaker 3: I'll have my men rape you too. 00:19:25 Speaker 8: When they have their fill, I'll kill you myself. 00:19:31 Speaker 1: The wood of the door was immediately met with the dull thunk of the blade of a dagger, followed by two pairs of fists. Terror shot through Lot's limbs and his vision narrowed to a point. He could hear Durak struggling to remove his blade from the soft wood of the door as he shouted for more men to join him. Lot could see the light of torches from the street through the cracks in the door and hear more men joining him, their bloodlust whipped into a frenzy. To his horror, the edge of Durak's blade appeared in the door crack by the frame and began to pry it open. To Lot's further dismay, calculated fingers began to claw their way into the opening and the door strained against its lock, groaning and whining at the force. He wasn't dealing with men, but animals. Regret cascaded into Lot's. He should have known better than to make his home in a wolf's den. The crazed men would soon have their hands on Lot and would surely drag him into the street to his death, or worse. Gasping for air, Lot squeezed his eyes shut as he struggled in vain against the door's movement behind him. Every second he was losing ground. He felt the door go slack for a moment while the men outside pulled back to gather their strength to surely strike the door and serve the final death blow to both the lock and the door. 00:20:49 Speaker 5: This is it. 00:20:50 Speaker 3: This is where I die. 00:20:52 Speaker 9: Being captain to a psychotic king seems like paradise compared to the horrors awaiting me. 00:21:00 Speaker 1: Just then, Lot felt a pair of strong, sure hands grasp his shoulders and hurl him aside. His eyes snapped open, and he saw that his guests had stepped in and secured the door themselves. 00:21:13 Speaker 6: Lot couldn't believe his eyes. 00:21:16 Speaker 1: They had shoved it shut, and somehow the lock was holding fast, as if the massive stress it had just undergone had never happened. One of them threw a hand in the air and pulled down forcefully. As his hand soared down to his side, a blinding light illuminated the street behind the door. The light that refracted through the doorframe and the front windows was brighter than even the sun at its zenith. Lot had to shield his eyes with his hand as light flooded into his entryway. The flash was gone as suddenly as the mysterious guest had summoned it. He heard the startled cries of the men outside. 00:21:53 Speaker 3: My eyes! I can't see! 00:21:56 Speaker 4: What happened? 00:21:57 Speaker 3: I've been blinded. Can you see anything? Where is the door? What? What did you do to us? What foreign sorcery is this? 00:22:08 Speaker 2: Drac, I think it's over here. 00:22:10 Speaker 4: Where are you? I'm here. 00:22:12 Speaker 3: Where? 00:22:14 Speaker 1: Lot gaped in amazement as the sounds of the mob faded away. In their blindness, they lost their bearings and were miraculously led away from the house. He then turned his attention to his two guests. 00:22:28 Speaker 7: What? 00:22:28 Speaker 3: What was that? 00:22:30 Speaker 7: What happened? 00:22:31 Speaker 4: Listen to me, Lot. Do you have anyone else in the city? Your sons-in-law? Other sons or daughters? Anyone else in the city who belongs to you? 00:22:43 Speaker 1: Lot was still in shock over what he had witnessed. He then noticed his wife and daughters were crouched in the stairway further inside their home. They had undoubtedly witnessed both the confrontation in the street and all that had come after. They looked equally bewildered. 00:23:00 Speaker 4: Lot, listen. This is important. Who else in the city belongs to you? 00:23:06 Speaker 5: The girls is betrothed. 00:23:08 Speaker 3: Yes, the two brothers who are promised to my daughters and their families. 00:23:16 Speaker 4: You need to go get them right now. You need to convince them to leave this place. 00:23:22 Speaker 6: Yes, you and those who belong to you will need to get out of the city. 00:23:27 Speaker 4: The evil and vile atrocities have caused a great outcry against its people. 00:23:34 Speaker 6: It has become so great before the God Almighty that he has sent us to destroy it. 00:23:40 Speaker 5: Destroy it? 00:23:41 Speaker 4: Yes, the city. The city will be destroyed. 00:23:47 Speaker 1: Lot's mouth was still hanging open in disbelief as he absorbed the men's words, the power they wielded, the certainty with which they spoke. Lot didn't know many things at that moment, but one thing he knew for sure, these were not men. They were messengers of God Almighty, sent here to exact judgment upon Lot's home. The adrenaline from the confrontation still pulsed through his veins as he grappled with this new information. He gaped at the otherworldly messengers standing in his entryway as he again slumped to the ground. 00:24:24 Speaker 3: Lot, what are you going to do? I think I must go. I must go to our sons-in-law, Saram and Lavin. I've got to warn them. 00:24:33 Speaker 5: Please, Father, go and warn them. Tell them what they must do. 00:24:37 Speaker 3: Tell them to come to us. 00:24:39 Speaker 1: One of the visitors approached Lot and offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet. The other similarly helped his daughters and wife stand. 00:24:48 Speaker 4: You should go now. We would see you off to safety. And as soon as we do that, we can get to our task. 00:24:58 Speaker 6: Yes, we would not delay the hour of judgment a moment longer than we need to The vile corruption here is foul, and the rot is all-consuming. 00:25:08 Speaker 1: The visitor who helped Lot to his feet ushered him toward the door and opened it. Lot then stumbled into the street beyond his front door and made his way toward the household of his son-in-law. Lot stumbled through the streets of Sodom to his son-in-law's house. Durak and his angry mob mercifully had been led astray. He forced himself to repeat the stranger's words in his head over and over. 00:25:34 Speaker 4: Destroy. 00:25:35 Speaker 1: They were going to destroy the city. Everything he worked so hard to build, rebuild, was going to be taken away from him. 00:25:44 Speaker 4: Again. 00:25:45 Speaker 1: But he would be under their protection. He was being given a way out. This wasn't like the last time strangers hell-bent on destruction had come to Sodom. This time would be different. 00:25:58 Speaker 3: Zoran! Laven! 00:26:00 Speaker 9: Jethren! 00:26:01 Speaker 3: Anybody! 00:26:02 Speaker 1: Despite the late hour, Lot pounded on the front door of his son-in-law's house. 00:26:07 Speaker 3: Lot, what is the meaning of this? The hour is late. Our father is already in bed. My sons, my sons, listen to me. This is important. We need to leave the city right away. I have just gotten word that the god of my uncle Abraham is going to destroy the city. 00:26:27 Speaker 2: A god has come to speak to you. 00:26:30 Speaker 3: Who do you think you are, an oracle? You can see the future now? Either that or he's drunk. Sleep it off, old man. 00:26:40 Speaker 9: Oh, no, what I'm telling you is true. You have no idea what I've seen. Oh, the things I've seen, what these men are capable of. Get your belongings. We need to get up and leave the city as soon as we can. 00:26:54 Speaker 3: This is a bore. 00:26:56 Speaker 1: I'm going back to bed. 00:26:58 Speaker 3: Come now, how many cups of wine have you had? Or is it the spirits brewed in the high temples that have you hallucinating like this? 00:27:08 Speaker 7: What? 00:27:09 Speaker 3: No, no, I'm sober! And I'm telling you the truth! Wake your father and mother! Wake the whole house! We need to leave! 00:27:18 Speaker 1: Lot watched as the brothers exchanged long glances, assessing what to do with him. Lot hardly blamed them. He could only imagine how deranged he appeared and sounded, banging on their door in the middle of the night and shouting premonitory nonsense. 00:27:34 Speaker 3: Lot, we're not doing that. Crazy old goat. You need to get home, Lot. 00:27:44 Speaker 10: Out of respect for you as our future father-in-law, we'll turn a blind eye to this outburst. But I know I speak for Laven when I say... I hope this will not happen again. 00:27:56 Speaker 1: With that, they slammed the door in his face. Lot was dismayed. What was he going to do now? He had failed his daughters. Not to mention, men who had once respected him thought he was losing his grip on reality. They had not even offered to walk him home. They couldn't be bothered. Lot knew it was the least of his worries, but that was indeed a blow. He had risen up the ranks in this town only to be treated like a pariah. Lot stewed in his thoughts all the way home, just as the night sky was beginning to lighten. He found his wife and daughters being conjoled around into packing and gathering their things by the two visitors. 00:28:36 Speaker 4: Lot, have you told those in your family to leave? Your wife and daughter are almost ready here. You need to leave now. Take your wife and your daughters, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city. 00:28:53 Speaker 1: Despite all Lot had seen earlier that night with the mob and the blinding light, and even all the acts of Abraham's God in the years since they left Haran, he hesitated. His wife and daughters were in their travelling clothes, supplies and packs slung over their shoulders and in their arms. The reality of the situation was right before his very eyes, but yet Lot hesitated. 00:29:16 Speaker 4: He thought of. 00:29:17 Speaker 1: All he had won and lost and won again. He thought of the horrors he had faced and the life he had built here. Could he really leave it all behind because of a single night of panic? What would his peers or even his enemies say if he ran like a coward in the night? What if all of this was a misunderstanding? Or perhaps something could be worked out? Surely Sodom was not so vile as to warrant total destruction? The visitors watched his silent calculation and, as if in response, they swooped upon him, grabbing his hands and dragging him from the threshold of their home into the streets of the city. This Pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schelleberger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.