AND, INDEED, there came unto Abraham Our [heavenly] messengers, bearing a glad tiding. They bade him peace; [and] he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - and made haste to place before them a roasted calf. 69 And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said: Fear not! Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot. 70 And his wife was standing by and she started laughing*, so We gave her glad tidings regarding Ishaq, and following Ishaq, regarding Yaqub.** (* She was glad that the disbelieving people of Lut would be destroyed.** The birth of these two.) 71 She said, "Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing!" 72 They said marvellest thou at the decree of Allah? Mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house, verily He is Praiseworthy, Glorious. 73 And when the fear had left Abraham, and the glad tiding had been conveyed to him, he began to plead with Us for Lot's people: 74 for, behold, Abraham was most clement, most tender-hearted, intent upon turning to God again and again. 75 [The angels said], "O Abraham, give up this [plea]. Indeed, the command of your Lord has come, and indeed, there will reach them a punishment that cannot be repelled." 76 AND WHEN Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; and he exclaimed: "This is a woeful day!" 77 And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man? 78 They replied: 'You know we have no right for your daughters. You know very well what we desire' 79 He said: Ah! that I had power to suppress you, rather I shall have recourse to a strong support. 80 They said: O Lut! verily we are messengers of thy Lord; they shall by no means reach thee: go forth thou with thy household in a part of the night, and let none of you look back, save thy wife; verily that which befalleth them shall befall her; verily their appointment is for the morning; is not morning nigh? 81 So when Our commandment came to pass We overthrew (that township) and rained upon it stones of clay, one after another, 82 Marked from your Lord. And Allah 's punishment is not from the wrongdoers [very] far. 83