< 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.
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;
3 And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest 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.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, 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.
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.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife! And he 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.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being 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?
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.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid; but he said, Nay; indeed thou didst 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 the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about doing?
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
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.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous:
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.
22 And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou then destroy the righteous also with 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?
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?
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
33 And the Lord went away, when he had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
