6 Bible Verses about Cities of the plain

Lot looked up and saw that the district of the Jordan River was well watered, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. This was before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.

In the days of King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim, these four kings made war with King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar. These joined forces in the Valley of Siddim at the Dead Sea.read more.
They served Chedorlaomer for twelve years. They rebelled in the thirteenth year. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in the hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the edge of the wilderness. They turned back and came to En-mishpat (Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim. They fought against King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar, four kings against five. The Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen (tar) pits. As the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them. The rest fled to the hill country. The enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food provisions, and went their way. They also captured Lot, son of Abram's brother, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. He was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. They were Abram's allies. Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive. Abram led his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen of them, in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night. He and his servants routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the goods. He also brought back his nephew Lot and all the men and women. As soon as the king of Sodom returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, he went out to meet Abram at the King's Valley of Shaveh. King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth. Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand! Abram gave him one tenth of everything. Then the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself. But Abram said to the king of Sodom: I have sworn to Jehovah, God Most High, maker of heaven and earth: I will take nothing. Not a thread or a sandal strap. You will not be able to say: 'I have made Abram rich.' Let the young men who came with me take their portion: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.

Jehovah said: Shall I hide what I am doing from Abraham? Abraham will definitely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him. I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household; and that they may remain in the righteous and just way of Jehovah. Jehovah will bring to Abraham what he told him.read more.
Jehovah said: Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done the bad things I have been told. Then I will know. The men left there and went toward Sodom. Abraham still stood before Jehovah. Abraham came near and said: Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it because the righteous people are there? Surely you would not do that! Would you slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Jehovah said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare the entire place for their sakes. Then Abraham answered and said: Indeed now, I who am only dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to Jehovah: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous. Would you destroy the entire city for lack of five? So He (God) said: If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it. Abraham spoke again: Suppose there should be forty found there? God replied: I will not do it for the sake of forty. Abraham then said: Do not be angry, and let me speak. Suppose thirty should be found there? God replied: I will not do it if I find thirty there. Abraham then said: Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Jehovah: Suppose twenty should be found there? God replied: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. Abraham again queried: Please do not be angry as I speak once more: Suppose ten should be found there? God said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. Jehovah went his way as soon as he finished speaking with Abraham. Abraham returned to his place.

That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there as they arrived. When he saw them, he got up to greet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed low to the ground. My lords, he said, come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again. Oh no, they said, We will spend the night out here in the city square. Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. He set a great feast before them, complete with fresh unleavened (unfermented) bread.read more.
They prepared to retire for the night when suddenly all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot: Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them! Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. Please, my brothers, he begged, do not do such a wicked thing. I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection. Stand back! they shouted. Who do you think you are? We let you settle among us, and now you are trying to tell us what to do! We will treat you far worse than those other men! They pushed Lot and began breaking down the door. But the two angels reached out and pulled Lot in and bolted the door. Then they blinded the men of Sodom so they could not find the doorway. Do you have any other relatives here in the city? The angels asked. Get them out of this place, sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. We will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached Jehovah. He has sent us to destroy it. Lot rushed out to tell his sons-in-law: Hurry! Get out of the city! Jehovah is going to destroy it. But the young men thought he was only joking. At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. They said to Lot: Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city. Lot still hesitated. So the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for Jehovah was merciful. Run for your lives! The angels warned. Do not stop and do not look behind you! Escape to the mountains, or you will die. Oh no, my lords, please, Lot begged. You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. There is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead. Do you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved. The angel said to him: All right, I will grant you this request too. I will not destroy the city you are talking about. Run there quickly! I cannot do anything until you get there. The city is named Zoar [Small]. The sun had just risen over the land as Lot came to Zoar. Jehovah made burning sulfur and fire rain out of the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. He destroyed those cities, the whole Plain, all who lived in the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham came to the place where he had stood in front of Jehovah. He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land in the Plain. He saw smoke rising from the land like the thick smoke of a furnace. When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot was living, he kept Abraham in mind and allowed Lot to escape to safety.

All its land is brimstone and salt. It is a burning waste, unsown and unproductive. No grass grows on it. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger and in his wrath.

The days of Lot were similar. They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted and they built. But when Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.