Genesis 18
1 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.
Now the Lord came to him by the holy tree of Mamre, when he was seated in the doorway of his tent in the middle of the day;
2 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,
And lifting up his eyes, he saw three men before him; and seeing them, he went quickly to them from the door of the tent, and went down on his face to the earth;
3 and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.
And said, My Lord, if now I have grace in your eyes, do not go away from your servant:
4 Now let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
Let me get water for washing your feet, and take your rest under the tree:
5 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."
And let me get a bit of bread to keep up your strength, and after that you may go on your way: for this is why you have come to your servant. And they said, Let it be so.
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread."
Then Abraham went quickly into the tent, and said to Sarah, Get three measures of meal straight away and make cakes.
7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
And running to the herd, he took a young ox, soft and fat, and gave it to the servant and he quickly made it ready;
8 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.
And he took butter and milk and the young ox which he had made ready and put it before them, waiting by them under the tree while they took food.
9 They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, "See, in the tent."
And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, She is in the tent.
10 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.
And he said, I will certainly come back to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son. And his words came to the ears of Sarah who was at the back of the tent-door.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.
Now Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was past the time for giving birth.
12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my husband being old also?"
And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old?
13 And God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child when I am old?'
And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child?
14 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."
Is there any wonder which the Lord is not able to do? At the time I said, in the spring, I will come back to you, and Sarah will have a child.
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
Then Sarah said, I was not laughing; for she was full of fear. And he said, No, but you were laughing.
16 The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
And the men went on from there in the direction of Sodom; and Abraham went with them on their way.
17 And God said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
And the Lord said, Am I to keep back from Abraham the knowledge of what I do;
18 seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him?
Seeing that Abraham will certainly become a great and strong nation, and his name will be used by all the nations of the earth as a blessing?
19 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."
For I have made him mine so that he may give orders to his children and those of his line after him, to keep the ways of the Lord, to do what is good and right: so that the Lord may do to Abraham as he has said.
20 And God said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is so grievous,
And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very evil,
21 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."
I will go down now, and see if their acts are as bad as they seem from the outcry which has come to me; and if they are not, I will see.
22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before God.
And the men, turning from that place, went on to Sodom: but Abraham was still waiting before the Lord.
23 Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
And Abraham came near, and said, Will you let destruction come on the upright with the sinners?
24 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?
If by chance there are fifty upright men in the town, will you give the place to destruction and not have mercy on it because of the fifty upright men?
25 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?"
Let such a thing be far from you, to put the upright to death with the sinner: will not the judge of all the earth do right?
26 And God said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
And the Lord said, If there are fifty upright men in the town, I will have mercy on it because of them.
27 Abraham answered, "Look, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.
And Abraham answering said, Truly, I who am only dust, have undertaken to put my thoughts before the Lord:
28 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."
If by chance there are five less than fifty upright men, will you give up all the town to destruction because of these five? And he said, I will not give it to destruction if there are forty-five.
29 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."
And again he said to him, By chance there may be forty there. And he said, I will not do it if there are forty.
30 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."
And he said, Let not the Lord be angry with me if I say, What if there are thirty there? And he said, I will not do it if there are thirty.
31 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."
And he said, See now, I have undertaken to put my thoughts before the Lord: what if there are twenty there? And he said, I will have mercy because of the twenty.
32 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."
And he said, O let not the Lord be angry and I will say only one word more: by chance there may be ten there. And he said, I will have mercy because of the ten.
33 When he finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned to his place.
And the Lord went on his way when his talk with Abraham was ended, and Abraham went back to his place.
