Genesis 18
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent as the day became really hot.
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 He looked up and all of a sudden he saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran over to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
And he lift 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 toward the ground,
3 He said, “Sir, if you please, don't continue your journey without spending some time here with me, your servant.
And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from your servant:
4 Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 Also let me bring some food so you can get your strength back before you go on your way, now that you've come to visit me here.” “That would be fine,” they answered. “Please do as you've suggested.”
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort all of you your hearts; after that all of you shall pass on: for therefore are all of you come to your servant. And they said, So do, as you have said.
6 Abraham hurried back to the tent and told Sarah, “Quick! Make some bread using three large measures of the best flour. Knead the dough and bake the bread.”
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 Then Abraham ran to the cattle herd and chose a good, young calf and gave it to his servant who quickly killed and cooked it.
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 Then he took some yogurt, milk, and the cooked meat, and placed the food in front of them. He stood nearby under a tree while they ate.
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 did eat.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 Then one said, “I promise you that I will come back to visit you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening, hiding just inside the entrance to the tent behind him.
And he said, I will certainly return unto you according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Sarah was laughing inside, saying to herself, “Now that I'm old and worn out, how would I experience pleasure? My husband is old too!”
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and ask, ‘How could it possibly be true that I'll have a child now I'm so old?’
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, which am old?
14 Is anything too difficult for the Lord to do? I will come back next year when I said I would, in the spring, and Sarah will have a son.”
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but you did laugh.
16 Then the men left. They looked down on Sodom and headed in that direction. Abraham accompanied them part of the way.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Abraham will definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 I've chosen him so that he will teach his sons and their families to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is right and good, so that I, the Lord, can do for Abraham what I promised.”
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
20 Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people there?
Possibly there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 No, you can't do something like that! You can't kill the good with the wicked, otherwise you would be treating the good and the wicked in the same way. You can't do that! Isn't the Judge of all the earth going to do the right thing?”
That be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 “Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
28 “What if there are forty-five good people, just five less? Are you still going to wipe out the whole town just because there are five fewer people?” “I won't destroy it if I find forty-five,” the Lord replied.
Possibly there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 Abraham spoke up again and he asked the Lord, “What if only forty can be found?” “I won't do it for the sake of the forty,” the Lord replied.
And he spoke unto him yet again, and said, Possibly there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 “My Lord, please don't get angry with me,” Abraham went on. “Let me ask this—what if only thirty were found?” “I won't do it if I find thirty,” the Lord replied.
And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Possibly there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 “I admit I've been very bold to speak to my Lord like this,” Abraham said. “What if only twenty are found there?” “I won't do it for the sake of the twenty,” the Lord replied.
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Possibly there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 “Please don't get angry with me, my Lord,” Abraham said. “Just let me ask one more thing. What if only ten are found there?” “I won't destroy it for the sake of the ten,” the Lord replied.
And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Possibly ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
