Genesis 18:2-33

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. 23Abraham came near and said, “41Will 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 42spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from You to do 43such 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 44the Judge of all the earth 45deal justly?” 26So the Lord said, “46If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will 47spare the whole place on their account.” 27And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have 48ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but 49dust 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 50ventured 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, “51Oh 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 52the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.