< Genesis 18 >
1 And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3 and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart. After that ye shall pass on, inasmuch as ye came to your servant. And they said, Do so as thou have said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to the servant. And he hastened to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return to thee when the season comes round, and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age. It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have become old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old?
13 And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I who am old certainly bear a child?
14 Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to thee, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said, No, but thou did laugh.
16 And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do,
18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
20 And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which comes to me. And if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham yet stood before Jehovah.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men?
24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
28 Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.
29 And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
30 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
33 And Jehovah went his way as soon as he had left off conversing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
