The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Loth hem warnede, wiſlike and wel,

1092

Oc he ne troweden him neuere a del.
Lot warned his sons-in-law in vain.

On morgen quan day cam hem to,
Loth and hiſ dogtres two
The angels led Lot and his family out of Sodom,

Ledden ðiſ angeles ut in ſel,
[Fol. 22.]

1096

And boden hem and tagten wel,
ðat here non wente agen,
for non ðhing he migte ſen.
and bade them turn not back.

Loth waſ wanſum, and ðugte long

1100

vp to ðo dunes ðe weie hard and ſtrong;
Lot thought the way to the hills hard and strong.

"Louerd," quat he, "gunde under dun,
mot hic ben borgen in ðat tun!"
ðo angeles ſeiden, "we ſulen it ſren,

1104

ðor quile ðu wilt ðor-inne ben;
He intreated that he might dwell in Segor.

Ai waſ borgen bala-ſegor
ðor quile ðat loth dwelledde ðor;
This city was safe while Lot abode there;

Oc ſiðen loth wente ut of hine,

1108

brende it ðhunder, ſanc it erðe-dine.
Sone ſo loth ut of ſodome cam,
when he left it, it was destroyed.

brend-fier-rein ðe burge bi-nam;
Hardere wreche ðor waſ cumen

1112

ðan ear was vnder flode numen;
Sodom was destroyed by fire,

for men ðor ſinne un-kinde deden,
ſo for-ſanc and brente ðat ſteden;
So bitter-like iſ it for-don,

1116

Ne mai non dain waſſen ðor-on;
So for-ſanc ðat folc ſinful ðor,
ſwilc ſinful ſinne wex ðer nunmor.
for sin and "unkind deeds."

Ðo lotes wif wente hire a-gon,

1120

Sone ghe ſtod, wente in to a ſton;
Lot's wife turned back, and "went into a stone."

So iſt nu forwent mirie dale
In to dririhed and in to bale,
ðe ſwarte flum, ðe dede ſe,

1124

Non fiſ, non fuel ðor-inne mai be.
ðat water iſ ſo deades driuen,
[Fol. 22b.]
Thus is this merry dale turned into a swarthy lake.

Non ðing ne mai ðor-inne liuen;
Nothing may live therein.

? fren