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 God appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance to the tent 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.
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth,
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 favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.
4 Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Now let a little water be brought, 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.”
I will get a bit of food so you may refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, 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.”
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread."
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.
Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare 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.
He took curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, "See, 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.
Then he said, "I will certainly return to you at the time of life. Look, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard from the entrance of the tent, 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, well advanced in age. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.
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!”
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my husband 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 God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child when I 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 anything too difficult for God? At the set time I will return to you, at the time of life, and Sarah will have a son."
15 Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, 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.
The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
And God said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to 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 will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through 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 have made myself known to him, so that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of God, to do righteousness and justice, so that God may bring to Abraham that which he has spoken to him."
20 Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
And God said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is so 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 entirely according to the outcry which has come to me. And if not, I will know."
22 The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before God.
23 Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you sweep away 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?
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
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?”
Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't 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 God said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
27 “Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
Abraham answered, "Look, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, I who 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.
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
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.
He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the 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.
He said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" 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.
He said, "Look, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the 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.
He said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
When he finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned to his place.
