Genesis 19:1-38

(1)  The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth

(2)  and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square."

(3)  But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

(4)  But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.

(5)  And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them."

(6)  Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him,

(7)  and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

(8)  Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof."

(9)  But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

(10)  But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door.

(11)  And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

(12)  Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place.

(13)  For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

(14)  So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

(15)  As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city."

(16)  But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

(17)  And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away."

(18)  And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords.

(19)  Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.

(20)  Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there--is it not a little one?--and my life will be saved!"

(21)  He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.

(22)  Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

(23)  The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

(24)  Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.

(25)  And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

(26)  But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

(27)  And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

(28)  And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

(29)  So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

(30)  Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

(31)  And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.

(32)  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father."

(33)  So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

(34)  The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father."

(35)  So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

(36)  Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.

(37)  The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.

(38)  The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

1 Corinthians 14:1-40

(1)  Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

(2)  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

(3)  On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

(4)  The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

(5)  Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

(6)  Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?

(7)  If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played?

(8)  And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?

(9)  So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air.

(10)  There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning,

(11)  but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.

(12)  So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.

(13)  Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret.

(14)  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.

(15)  What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

(16)  Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?

(17)  For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.

(18)  I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

(19)  Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

(20)  Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

(21)  In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."

(22)  Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

(23)  If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

(24)  But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,

(25)  the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

(26)  What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

(27)  If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.

(28)  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.

(29)  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

(30)  If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.

(31)  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

(32)  and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

(33)  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

(34)  the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says.

(35)  If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

(36)  Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?

(37)  If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

(38)  If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

(39)  So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.

(40)  But all things should be done decently and in order.

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