Genesis 18
1 Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon.
2 And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold! three men stood before him; and having seen them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and did obeisance to the ground.
3 “My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do you refresh [yourselves] under the tree.
5 And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”
And I will bring bread, and you shall eat, and after this you shall depart on your journey, on account of which [refreshment] you have turned aside to your servant. And he said, So do, as you have said.
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes.
7 Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
And Abraam ran to the kine, and took a young calf, tender and good, and gave it to his servant, and he hasted to dress it.
8 Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed; and he set them before them, and they did eat, and he stood by them under the tree.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.
And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
10 Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
And he said, I will return and come to you according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha your wife shall have a son; and Sarrha heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.
11 And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
12 So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.
13 And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’
And the Lord said to Abraam, Why is it that Sarrha has laughed in herself, saying, Shall I then indeed bear? but I am grown old.
14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to you seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son.
15 But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
But Sarrha denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said to her, Nay, but you did laugh.
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
And the men having risen up from thence looked towards Sodom and Gomorrha. And Abraam went with them, attending them on their journey.
17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest.
19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
For I know that he will order his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all things whatever he has spoken to him.
20 Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha has been increased towards me, and their sins are very great.
21 I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
I will therefore go down and see, if they completely correspond with the cry which comes to me, and if not, that I may know.
22 And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
And Abraam drew near and said, Wouldest you destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there?
Should there be fifty righteous in the city, will you destroy them? will you not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous, if they be in it?
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
By no means shall you do as this thing [is] so as to destroy the righteous with the wicked, so the righteous shall be as the wicked: by no means. You that judge the whole earth, shall you not do right?
26 So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
And the Lord said, If there should be in Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole city, and the whole place for their sakes.
27 Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
And Abraam answered and said, Now I have begun to speak to my Lord, and I am earth and ashes.
28 suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
But if the fifty righteous should be diminished to forty-five, will you destroy the whole city because of the five [lacking]? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there forty-five.
29 Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
And he continued to speak to him still, and said, But if there should be found there forty? And he said, I will not destroy it for the forty's sake.
30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
And he said, Will there be anything [against me], Lord, if I shall speak? but if there be found there thirty? And he said, I will not destroy it for the thirty's sake.
31 And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
And he said, Since I am able to speak to the Lord, what if there should be found there twenty? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there twenty.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”
And he said, Will there be anything [against me], Lord, if I speak yet once? but if there should be found there ten? And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.
