Now athe LORD appeared
to him by the 1 boaks
of Mamre
, while he was sitting
at the tent
door
in the heat
of the day
.
When he lifted up his eyes
and looked
, behold
, three
amen
were standing
opposite
him; and when he saw
them, he ran
from the tent
door
to meet
them and bowed
himself to the earth
,
and said, " 1My Lord
, if
now
I have found
favor
in Your sight
, please
do not 2pass
Your servant
by.
"Please let a little
water
be brought
and awash
your feet
, and 1rest
yourselves
under
the tree
;
and I will 1 abring a piece
of bread
, that you may 2refresh
yourselves
; after
that you may go
on, since
you have 3visited
your servant
." And they said
, "So
do
, as you have said
."
So Abraham hurried
into the tent
to Sarah
, and said
, " 1Quickly
, prepare
three
2measures
of fine
flour
, knead
it and make
bread
cakes
."
Abraham also ran
to the herd
, and took
a tender
and 1choice
calf
and gave
it to the servant
, and he hurried
to prepare
it.
He took curds
and milk
and the calf
which
he had prepared
, and placed
it before
them; and he was standing
by them under
the tree
1as they ate
.
Then they said to him, "Where
is Sarah
your wife
?" And he said
, "There
, in the tent
."
He said, " aI will surely
return
to you 1at this time
next
year
; and behold
, Sarah
your wife
will have a son
." And Sarah
was listening
at the tent
door
, which
was behind
him.
Now aAbraham and Sarah
were old
, advanced
in age
; Sarah
was bpast
1childbearing
.
Sarah laughed
1to herself
, saying
, " aAfter
I have become
old
, shall I have
pleasure
, my blord
being
old
also?"
And the LORD said
to Abraham
, "Why
did Sarah
laugh
, saying
, `Shall I indeed
1bear
a child, when I am
so old
?'
" aIs anything too
1difficult
for the LORD
? At the bappointed
time
I will return
to you, 2at this
time
next
year
, and Sarah
will have a son
."
Sarah denied
it however, saying
, "I did not laugh
"; for she was afraid
. And He said
, "No
, but you did laugh
."
Then athe men rose
up from there
, and looked
down
toward
Sodom
; and Abraham
was walking
with them to send
them off.
aThe LORD said
, "Shall I hide
from Abraham
bwhat
I am about to do
,
since Abraham will surely
become
a great
and 1mighty
nation
, and in him aall
the nations
of the earth
will be blessed
?
"For I have 1 achosen him, so
that he may bcommand
his children
and his household
after
him to ckeep
the way
of the LORD
by doing
righteousness
and justice
, so
that the LORD
may bring
upon Abraham
dwhat
He has spoken
about
him."
And the LORD said
, " aThe outcry
of Sodom
and Gomorrah
is indeed
great
, and their sin
is exceedingly
grave
.
"I will ago down
now
, and see
if they have done
entirely
according to its outcry
, which has come
to Me; and if
not, I will know
."
Then athe men turned
away
from there
and went
toward Sodom
, while Abraham
was still
standing
before
bthe LORD
.
Abraham came
near
and said
, " aWill You indeed
sweep
away
the righteous
with the wicked
?
"Suppose there
are fifty
righteous
within
the city
; will You indeed
sweep
it away
and not 1spare
the place
for the sake
of the fifty
righteous
who
are in it?
"Far be it from You to do
1such
a thing
, to slay
the righteous
with the wicked
, so that the righteous
and the wicked
are treated alike. Far
be it from You! Shall not athe Judge
of all
the earth
2deal
justly
?"
So the LORD said
, " aIf
I find
in Sodom
fifty
righteous
within
the city
, then I will 1spare
the whole
place
on their account
."
And Abraham replied
, "Now
behold
, I have 1ventured
to speak
to the Lord
, although I am but adust
and ashes
.
"Suppose the fifty
righteous
are lacking
five
, will You destroy
the whole
city
because of five
?" And He said
, "I will not destroy
it if
I find
forty-five
there
."
He spoke to Him yet
again
and said
, "Suppose
forty
are found
there
?" And He said
, "I will not do
it on account
of the forty
."
Then he said, "Oh
may
the Lord
not be angry
, and I shall speak
; suppose
thirty
are found
there
?" And He said
, "I will not do
it if
I find
thirty
there
."
And he said, "Now
behold
, I have 1ventured
to speak
to the Lord
; suppose
twenty
are found
there
?" And He said
, "I will not destroy
it on account
of the twenty
."
Then he said, " aOh
may
the Lord
not be angry
, and I shall speak
only
this
once
; suppose
ten
are found
there
?" And He said
, "I will not destroy
it on account
of the ten
."
As soon as He had finished
speaking
to Abraham
athe LORD
departed
, and Abraham
returned
to his place
.