< Genesis 18 >

1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the grove of Mamre; while he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day.
And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood near him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of the tent, and bowed himself 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 And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and 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 fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your heart, after that ye may pass on; since ye have once passed by your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast spoken.
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 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress 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 And he took cream 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.
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 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife! And he said, Behold, in the tent.
And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee at this time next year: and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it at the door of the tent, which was behind him.
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 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old!
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 said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, since 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 hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, at this time next year, and Sarah shall 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 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid; but he said, Nay; indeed thou didst laugh.
But Sarrha denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said to her, Nay, but you 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.
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 doing?
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest.
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken concerning him.
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 And the Lord said, Because the cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very 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 now, and see if they have done according to the cry against them, which is come unto me, destruction [shall come upon them]; and if not, I will know it.
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 men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou then destroy the righteous also 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 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou then also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are therein?
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 thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be this from thee; shall the Judge of all the earth not exercise justice?
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 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then will I spare all of the place for their sake.
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 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, although 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 Peradventure there will lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou then destroy all the city for the [lack of] these five? And he said, I will not destroy, if I find there forty and five.
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 And he spoke yet again unto him, and said, Peradventure there will be found there forty. And he said, I will not do it for the sake of the forty.
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 And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there will be found there thirty. And he said, I will not do it, if I find there thirty.
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 he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there will be found there twenty. And he said, I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty.
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 And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure there will be found there ten. And he said, I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten.
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 And the Lord went away, when he had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.

< Genesis 18 >