1 T he Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day.

Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks or terebinths of Mamre; as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day,

2 A braham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood at a little distance from him. He ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground

3 a nd said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant.

And said, My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant, I beg of you.

4 L et us have a little water brought to wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree.

Let a little water be brought, and you may wash your feet and recline and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 A nd I will get a piece of bread so you may eat and get strength. After that you may go on your way, since you have come to your servant.” The men said, “Do as you have said.”

And I will bring a morsel (mouthful) of bread to refresh and sustain your hearts before you go on further—for that is why you have come to your servant. And they replied, Do as you have said.

6 S o Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry and get three pails of fine flour, mix it well, and make bread.”

So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly get ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and bake cakes.

7 T hen Abraham ran to the cattle and took out a young and good calf. He gave it to the servant to make it ready in a hurry.

And Abraham ran to the herd and brought a calf tender and good and gave it to the young man; then he hastened to prepare it.

8 H e took milk and cheese and the meat which he had made ready, and set it in front of them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate.

And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had made ready, and set it before; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9 T hen they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There in the tent.”

And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, in the tent.

10 T he Lord said, “I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

said, I will surely return to you when the season comes round, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah was listening and heard it at the tent door which was behind Him.

11 N ow Abraham and Sarah were old. They had lived many years. The way of women had stopped for Sarah.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with women..

12 S o Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Will I have this joy after my husband and I have grown old?”

Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord (husband), being old also?

13 T hen the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘How can I give birth to a child when I am so old?’

And the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so old?

14 I s anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.

15 B ut Sarah said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.” Abraham Cries Out for Sodom

Then Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.

16 T hen the men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

The men rose up from there and faced toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17 A nd the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do,

18 s ince Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, because good will come to all the nations of the earth through him?

Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him and shall bless themselves by him?

19 F or I have chosen him, so that he may teach his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and fair. So the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has promised him.”

For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him, so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him.

20 T hen the Lord said, “The cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is loud. Their sin is very bad.

And the Lord said, Because the shriek of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous,

21 I will now go down and see if they have done as much wrong as the cry against them has told Me they have. And if not, I will know.”

I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether as is the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.

22 T hen the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the Lord.

Now the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

23 A braham came near and said, “Will You destroy the good also, with the bad?

And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) together with the wicked?

24 W hat if there are fifty good people within the city? Will You destroy the place and not save it because of the fifty good people in it?

Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous; will You destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous in it?

25 M ay You never do such a thing as to destroy the good with the bad! May the good never be punished like the bad! You would never do such a thing! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Far be it from You to do such a thing—to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment and do righteously?

26 S o the Lord said, “If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole place because of them.”

And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous (upright and in right standing with God), I will spare the whole place for their sake.

27 A braham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am only dust and ashes.

Abraham answered, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord.

28 W hat if five of the fifty good people are not so good. Will You destroy the whole city because of five?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five good people there.”

If five of the fifty righteous should be lacking—will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, If I find forty-five, I will not destroy it.

29 A braham spoke to Him again and said, “What if only forty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.”

And spoke to Him yet again, and said, Suppose forty shall be found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

30 T hen Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak. What if only thirty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

Then said to Him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty shall be found there. And He answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

31 A braham said, “Now see, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. What if twenty are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the twenty.”

And said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty shall be found there. And replied, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

32 T hen Abraham said, “O may the Lord not be angry. And I may speak once more. What if ten are found there?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of the ten.”

And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten shall be found there. And said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

33 T hen the Lord went on His way when He finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.