Genesis 18
Revised Geneva Translation
18 Again the LORD appeared to him on the plain of Mamre, as he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day.
2 And he lifted 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 to the ground.
3 And he said, “Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, please do not go from Your servant.
4 “Please let a little water be brought; and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 “And I will bring a morsel of bread, so that you may comfort your hearts. Afterward, you shall go your ways. For therefore have you come to your servant.” And they said, “Do even as you have said.”
6 Then Abraham went quickly into the tent, to Sarah, and said, “Make ready at once three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes upon the hearth.”
7 And Abraham ran to the beasts and took a tender and good calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to make it ready.
8 And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set them before them, and stood by them under the tree. And they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” And he answered, “Behold, in the tent.”
10 And he said, “I will certainly come again to you according to the time of life. And lo, Sarah, your wife, shall have a son.” And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and stricken in age. And Sarah was past child-bearing years.
12 Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord also, shall I have pleasure?”
13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I, who am old, surely bear a child?’
14 “Shall anything be hard to the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you—according to the time of life—and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was afraid. And he said, “It is not so. For you did laugh.”
16 Afterward, the men rose up from there and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do,
18 “seeing that Abraham shall indeed be a great and a mighty nation, and all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him?
19 “For I know him, that he will command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD: to do righteousness and judgment. So that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken to him.”
20 Then the LORD said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is exceedingly grievous,
21 “I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely according to that cry which has come to Me. And if not, I will know.”
22 And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the LORD.
23 Then Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 “If there are fifty righteous within the city, will you destroy (and not spare the place) because of the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 “Be it far from You from doing this thing—to slay the righteous with the wicked—and that the righteous should be even as the wicked. Be it far from You! Shall not the Judge of all the world do right?”
26 And the LORD answered, “If I shall find fifty righteous within the city of Sodom, then will I spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Behold now, I have begun to speak to my Lord; and I am but dust and ashes.
28 “If there shall be five less than fifty righteous, will You destroy all the city for five?” And He said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, “What if there shall be found forty there?” Then He answered, “I will not do it for forty’s sake.”
30 Again he said, “Do not let my Lord now be angry at what I speak. What if thirty are found there?” Then He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Moreover he said, “Behold now, I have begun to speak to my Lord. What if twenty are found there?” And He answered, “I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.”
32 Then he said, “Do not let my Lord now be angry, and I will speak but once more. What if ten are found there?” And He answered, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.”
33 And the LORD went His way when he had finished communing with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.
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