All these kings fought a war against Bera the king of Sodom, Birsha the king of Gomorrah, Shinab the king of Admah, Shemeber the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. (Bela is also called Zoar.)
The land of the people of Canaan was from Sidon in the north to Gerar in the south, from Gaza in the west to Sodom and Gomorrah in the east, from Admah and Zeboiim to Lasha.
Lot looked and saw the Jordan Valley. Lot saw that there was much water there. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord’s Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt.)
My heart cries with sorrow for Moab.\par People are running for safety.\par They run far away to Zoar.\par They run to Eglath Shelishiyah.\par The people are crying as they go up\par the mountain road to Luhith.\par The people are crying very loudly\par as they walk on the road to Horonaim.\par
“The people of the towns of Heshbon and Elealeh are crying. Their cry is heard even as far away as the town of Jahaz. Their cry is heard from the town of Zoar, as far away as the towns of Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried.
“Ephraim, {\cf2\super [121]} I don’t want to give you up.\par Israel, I want to protect you.\par I don’t want to make you like Admah! {\cf2\super [122]} \par I don’t want to make you like Zeboiim! {\cf2\super [123]} \par I am changing my mind.\par My love for you is too strong.\par
All the land will be useless—destroyed by burning sulfur and covered with salt. The land will have nothing planted in it. Nothing will be growing—not even weeds. The land will be destroyed like Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, the cities the Lord destroyed when he was very angry.
The second group went {southeast} on the road to Beth Horon. And the third group went {east} on the road to the border. That road looks over the Valley of Zeboim toward the desert.