Genesis 18:2-22

2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three 1men 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, “2My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not 3pass Your servant by. 4Please let a little water be brought and 4wash your feet, and 5rest yourselves under the tree; 5and I will 67bring a piece of bread, that you may 8refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have 9visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “10Quickly, prepare three 11measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and 12choice 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 13as they ate.

9Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10He said, “14I will surely return to you 15at 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 16Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was 17past 18childbearing. 12Sarah laughed 19to herself, saying, “20After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my 21lord being old also?” 13And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed 22bear a child, when I am so old?’ 1423Is anything too 24difficult for the Lord? At the 25appointed time I will return to you, 26at 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 27the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 1728The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham 29what I am about to do, 18since Abraham will surely become a great and 30mighty nation, and in him 31all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19For I have 3233chosen him, so that he may 34command his children and his household after him to 35keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham 36what He has spoken about him.” 20And the Lord said, “37The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21I will 38go 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 39the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before 40the Lord.