1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and
he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 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,
3 And
said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray
thee, from thy servant:
4 Let
a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves
under the tree:
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 And
they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold,
in the tent.
10 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.
11 Now
Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it
ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And
the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a
surety bear a child, which am old?
14 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.
15 Then
Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but
thou didst laugh.
16 And
the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with
them to bring them on the way.
17 And
the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing
that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations
of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 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.
20 And
the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous;
21 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.
22 And
the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the LORD.
23 And
Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the
wicked?
24 Peradventure
there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare
the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 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?
26 And
the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will
spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And
Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the
Lord, which am but dust
and ashes:
28 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.
29 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.
30 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.
31 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.
32 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.
33 And
the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and
Abraham returned unto his place.
