Genesis 18
1 Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent doorway 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 looked up and, behold, he saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed low to the ground.
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 He said, “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by and leave your servant.
And said, My Lord, if now I have grace in your eyes, do not go away from your servant:
4 Let a little water be brought, 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 Let me bring a little food, so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you can go your way, since you have come to your servant.” They replied, “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 Then Abraham quickly went into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry, get three seahs 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 Then Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf that was tender and good, 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 and milk, and the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food before them, and he stood by them under the tree while 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 replied, “There, in the tent.”
And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, She is in the tent.
10 He said, “I will certainly return to you in the springtime, and see, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent doorway, 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, very advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age when women could bear children.
Now Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was past the time for giving birth.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying to herself, “After I am worn-out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old?
13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, '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 hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed by me, in the spring, I will return to you. About this time next year 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 Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He replied, “No, 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 Then the men arose to leave and looked down 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 But Yahweh said, “Should 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 since Abraham will indeed become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in 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 chosen him so that he may instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has said 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 Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and because their sin is so serious,
And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very evil,
21 I will now go down there and see the outcry against her that has come to me, whether they have really done it. 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 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before Yahweh.
And the men, turning from that place, went on to Sodom: but Abraham was still waiting before the Lord.
23 Then Abraham approached 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 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are there?
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 Far be it from you to do such a thing, killing the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated the same as the wicked. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
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 Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole 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 and said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, even though I am only 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 are five less than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” Then he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.”
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 replied, “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, “Please do not be angry, Lord, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “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 undertaken to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “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, “Please do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak this one last time. Perhaps ten will be found there.” Then 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 Yahweh went on his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.
And the Lord went on his way when his talk with Abraham was ended, and Abraham went back to his place.
