And the LORD appeared
unto him in the plains
of Mamre
: and he sat
in the tent
door
in the heat
of the day
;
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
,
And said, My Lord
, if now I have found
favour
in thy sight
, pass not away
, I pray thee, from thy servant
:
Let a little water
, I pray you
, be fetched
, and wash
your feet
, and rest yourselves
under the tree
:
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
.
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
.
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.
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
.
And they said unto him, Where
is Sarah
thy wife
? And he said
, Behold, in the tent
.
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
.
Now Abraham and Sarah
were old
and well stricken
in age
; and it ceased
to be with Sarah
after the manner
of women
.
Therefore Sarah laughed
within herself
, saying
, After
I am waxed old
shall I have pleasure
, my lord
being old also
?
And the LORD said
unto Abraham
, Wherefore
did Sarah
laugh
, saying
, Shall I of a surety
bear
a child, which
am old
?
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
.
Then Sarah denied
, saying
, I laughed
not; for she was afraid
. And he said
, Nay
; but thou didst laugh
.
And the men rose up
from thence, and looked
toward
Sodom
: and Abraham
went
with them to bring them on the way
.
And the LORD said
, Shall I hide
from Abraham
that thing which
I do
;
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great
and mighty
nation
, and all the nations
of the earth
shall be blessed
in 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.
And the LORD said
, Because the cry
of Sodom
and Gomorrah
is great
, and because their sin
is very
grievous
;
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
.
And the men turned their faces
from thence, and went
toward Sodom
: but Abraham
stood
yet
before
the LORD
.
And Abraham drew near
, and said
, Wilt thou also destroy
the righteous
with
the wicked
?
Peradventure there be fifty
righteous
within
the city
: wilt thou also destroy
and not spare
the place
for
the fifty
righteous
that are therein
?
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
?
And the LORD said
, If I find
in Sodom
fifty
righteous
within
the city
, then I will spare
all the place
for their sakes.
And Abraham answered
and said
, Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak
unto the Lord
, which
am but dust
and ashes
:
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
And the LORD went his way
, as soon as
he had left
communing
with Abraham
: and Abraham
returned
unto his place
.