Genesis 18
1 One day during that year when it was hot, Yahweh appeared to Abraham again near the big trees that belonged to Mamre, while Abraham was sitting in the entrance to his tent.
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 Abraham looked up [MTY] and was surprised to see three men standing near him. [Actually, one was Yahweh, and the other two were angels]. When he saw them, he ran to meet them. He prostrated himself with his face on the ground to show respect,
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 said [to one of them], “Sir, if you are pleased with me, stay here for a little while [LIT].
And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 Allow my servants to bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest under this tree.
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 Since you have come here to me, allow me to bring you some food [SYN] so that you can feel refreshed before you leave.” Yahweh replied, “All right, do as you have said.”
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 So Abraham quickly went into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, get some of our best flour and make some loaves of bread!”
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
7 Then he ran to the herd of cattle and selected a calf whose meat would be tender and tasty. He gave it to one of his servants [and told him to] quickly kill it and cook it.
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 When the meat was cooked, Abraham brought some curds and milk and the meat that had been prepared, and set them in front of his visitors. Then he stood near them, under a tree, while they ate.
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 [One of] them asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He replied, “She is in the tent.”
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife! And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 Then the leader of the group said, “I will return to you (about this time/in the springtime) next year, and to your amazement, your wife Sarah will have an infant son.” It happened that Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind the one who was speaking.
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 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was far past the time of when she could bear children.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “My body is worn out, and my husband is old. So how can I have the pleasure [of having a child]?” [RHQ]
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old!
13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why was she thinking, ‘I am too old, so how can I bear a child?’
And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, since I am old?
14 I am Yahweh! (Is there anything too difficult for me?/There is nothing too difficult for me!) [RHQ] I will return about this time next year in the springtime, and Sarah will have an infant son.”
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 was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh said, “Don’t deny it! You did laugh.”
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid; but he said, Nay; indeed thou didst laugh.
16 When the three men got up to leave, they looked down into the valley toward Sodom [city]. Abraham was walking with them to say “goodbye” to them.
And the men rose up from there and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 Yahweh thought to himself, “It is not right for me to prevent Abraham from knowing what I plan to do [RHQ].
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about doing?
18 Abraham’s descendants [MTY] will become a great and powerful nation. And people of [MTY] all nations will be blessed because of what I do for him.
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 I have chosen him in order that he will teach his children and their families to obey me and do what is right and fair, and then I will do for Abraham what I promised.”
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 So Yahweh said to Abraham, “I have heard the terrible things that have been said about the people of [MTY] Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are very great.
And the Lord said, Because the cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous:
21 So I will go down now, and I will see if all the terrible things that I have heard are true or not true.”
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 Then the two men turned and started walking toward Sodom. But Yahweh remained, standing in front of Abraham.
And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 Abraham came closer to him and said, “Will you really destroy righteous people along with wicked ones?
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou then destroy the righteous also with the wicked?
24 What will you do if there are only 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really get rid of them all, and not spare the place/city for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in the city?
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 It would certainly not be right for you to do such a thing, to kill righteous people along with wicked ones, and treat righteous people and wicked people the same way. You could not do that, because you, who are the judge of everyone on the earth, will certainly do what is right [regarding the people of Sodom]!” [RHQ]
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 Yahweh replied, “If I find 50 righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place/city for their sake.”
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 Abraham replied, “I should not be bold like this and speak to you, God, because I am as worthless as dust and ashes [MET].
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 But what will you do if there are only 45 righteous people? Will you destroy everyone in the whole city because there are only 45 and not 50 righteous people?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy it if I find that there are 45 righteous people.”
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 Abraham continued to speak to him [like this], saying, “What will you do if you find that there are only 40 righteous people there?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy them all, for the sake of the 40.”
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 Abraham said, “God, please don’t be angry now. Let me speak again. What will you do if there are only 30 righteous people?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find that there are 30 there.”
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 Abraham said, “I should not be bold and speak to you like this, God. But what will you do if you find that there are only 20 righteous people there?” He replied, “I will not destroy the whole city, for the sake of those 20.”
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 Abraham said, “God, don’t be angry now. Just let me speak one time more. What will you do if you find that there are only ten righteous people there?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city for the sake of those ten.”
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 Abraham said no more, and as soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
And the Lord went away, when he had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
