< 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.
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,
3 and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.
4 Now let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves 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."
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread."
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.
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.
9 They said to him, "Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, "See, 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.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.
12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my husband being old also?"
13 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 God? At the set time I will return to you, at the time of life, and Sarah will have a son."
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."
16 The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 And God said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to 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?
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."
20 And God said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is so grievous,
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."
22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before God.
23 Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
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?
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?"
26 And God said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
27 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 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 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 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 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 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 When he finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned to his place.
