Genesis 18

¹Now the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent when the day was hot.

²And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground.

³And he said, ‘My lords, if only I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass on from beside your servant.

⁴Please let a little water be taken, and bathe your feet, and recline under the tree.

⁵And I will take a morsel of bread, and sustain your hearts; after[wards] you shall pass on, because you have passed by your servant.’ And they said, ‘So shall you do, as you have spoken.’

⁶And Abraham hastened to the tent to Sarah, and he said, ‘Hasten three seah of meal [and] fine flour; knead and make cakes.’

⁷And to the cattle did Abraham run, and he took a calf, tender and good, and he gave it to the youth, and he hastened to prepare it.

⁸And he took cream and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and he placed [them] before them, and he was standing over them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹And they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘Behold in the tent.’

¹⁰And he said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year, and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.’ And Sarah heard from the entrance of the tent, and it was behind him.

¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, coming on in years; Sarah had ceased to have the way of the women.

¹²And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have become worn out, will I have smooth flesh? And also, my master is old.’

¹³And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Is it really true that I will give birth, although I am old?'

¹⁴Is anything hidden from the Lord? At the appointed time, I will return to you, at this time next year and Sarah will have a son.’

¹⁵And Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ because she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you laughed.’

¹⁶And the men arose from there, and they looked upon Sodom, and Abraham went with them to escort them,

¹⁷And the Lord said, ‘Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am doing'?

¹⁸And Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the world will be blessed in him.

¹⁹For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness and justice, in order that the Lord bring upon Abraham that which He spoke concerning him.’

²⁰And the Lord said, ‘Since the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and since their sin has become very grave,

²¹I will descend now and see, whether according to her cry, which has come to Me, they have done; [I will wreak] destruction [upon them]; and if not, I will know.’

²²And the men turned from there and went to Sodom, and Abraham was still standing before the Lord.

²³And Abraham approached and said, ‘Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴Perhaps there are fifty righteous men in the midst of the city; will You even destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous men who are in its midst?

²⁵Far be it from You to do a thing such as this, to put to death the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be like the wicked. Far be it from You! Will the Judge of the entire earth not perform justice?’

²⁶And the Lord said, ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, I will forgive the entire place for their sake.’

²⁷And Abraham answered and said, ‘Behold now I have commenced to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.

²⁸Perhaps the fifty righteous men will be missing five. Will You destroy the entire city because of five?’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy if I find there forty-five.’

²⁹And he continued further to speak to Him, and he said, ‘Perhaps forty will be found there.’ And He said, ‘I will not do it for the sake of the forty.’

³⁰And he said, ‘Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I will speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.’ And He said, ‘I will not do it if I find thirty there.’

³¹And he said, ‘Behold now I have desired to speak to the Lord, perhaps twenty will be found there.’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty.’

³²And he said, ‘Please, let the Lord's wrath not be kindled, and I will speak yet this time, perhaps ten will be found there.’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy for the sake of the ten.’

³³And the Lord departed when He finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.