Genesis 18

Birth of Isaac Promised

1Now 1the Lord appeared to him by the 23oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three 4men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said, “5My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not 6pass Your servant by. 4Please let a little water be brought and 7wash your feet, and 8rest yourselves under the tree; 5and I will 910bring a piece of bread, that you may 11refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have 12visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “13Quickly, prepare three 14measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and 15choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8He 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 16as they ate.

9Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10He said, “17I will surely return to you 18at 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. 11Now 19Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was 20past 21childbearing. 12Sarah laughed 22to herself, saying, “23After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my 24lord being old also?” 13And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed 25bear a child, when I am so old?’ 1426Is anything too 27difficult for the Lord? At the 28appointed time I will return to you, 29at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

16Then 30the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 1731The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham 32what I am about to do, 18since Abraham will surely become a great and 33mighty nation, and in him 34all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19For I have 3536chosen him, so that he may 37command his children and his household after him to 38keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham 39what He has spoken about him.” 20And the Lord said, “40The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21I will 41go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

22Then 42the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before 43the Lord. 23Abraham came near and said, “44Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not 45spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from You to do 46such 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 47the Judge of all the earth 48deal justly?” 26So the Lord said, “49If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will 50spare the whole place on their account.” 27And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have 51ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but 52dust and ashes. 28Suppose 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.” 29He 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.” 30Then 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.” 31And he said, “Now behold, I have 53ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32Then he said, “54Oh 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.” 33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham 55the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.