Genesis 18

¹Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

²He 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 tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

³and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

⁴Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

⁵I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. 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 I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

⁶Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

⁷Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

⁸He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.And he took butter, 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.

⁹They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.”And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

¹⁰He said, “I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹²Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

¹³Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

¹⁴Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

¹⁵Then Sarah denied, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

¹⁶The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

¹⁷Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

¹⁸since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

¹⁹For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

²⁰Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

²¹I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

²²The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.

²³Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

²⁵Be 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?”That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

²⁶Yahweh 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 I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

²⁷Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

²⁸What 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.”Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

²⁹He 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 he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

³⁰He said, “Oh don’t 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 unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

³¹He said, “See now, 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, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

³²He said, “Oh don’t 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, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

³³Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.