Genesis 18

1The LORD appeared to Abraham by the great trees of Mamre. It was the hottest part of the day, and Abraham was sitting in the doorway of his tent. 2He raised his eyes and saw three men standing a little way off. At the sight of them he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3“My lord,” he said, “if you are pleased with me, please do not go past your servant without stopping. 4Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet; then rest here in the shade of the tree. 5I will fetch a bite of bread so you can regain your strength before you continue your journey, now that you have come to your servant.” They replied, “Yes, do what you have offered.” 6Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Take about 20 quarts of fine flour, knead it and make loaves.” 7Next he ran to the cattle, picked out a calf, young and good, and handed it to a servant, who hurried to cook it. 8He set before them curds and milk and the calf he had prepared, and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. 9They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” “Inside the tent,” he said. 10The visitor said, “I will come back to you when this season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door, behind him. 11Both Abraham and Sarah were old, far on in years, and Sarah no longer had her monthly periods. 12Sarah laughed inwardly and said to herself, “Worn out as I am, with my husband old, am I to have this delight?” 13Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Shall I really give birth, old as I am?’ 14Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the appointed time, when the season comes round, I will come back to you, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was frightened. But he said, “You did laugh.” 16The men rose to go and looked down on Sodom, and Abraham went part of the way with them to send them off. 17Then the LORD said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham is certain to become a great nation, strong in numbers, and in him all the nations of the earth will find blessing. 19I have singled him out so that he will charge his children and his family after him to walk in the way of the LORD, doing what is right and just. That is how the LORD will fulfil for Abraham what he has spoken about him.” 20So the LORD said, “The cry for help that rises against Sodom and Gomorrah is loud, and their sin weighs very heavy. 21I will go down and see for myself whether their deeds are as bad as the cry that has come to me. If not, I will know it.” 22The men left there and set off toward Sodom, while Abraham stayed standing in the presence of the LORD. 23Then Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really destroy the innocent along with the guilty? 24Suppose there are fifty innocent people in the city. Would you still sweep it away? Would you not spare it for the sake of those fifty? 25It is unthinkable that you would do such a thing, putting the innocent to death with the guilty and treating them alike. Surely not! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26The LORD answered, “If I find fifty innocent people within Sodom, I will spare all of it because of them.” 27Abraham went on, “I have dared to speak to the Lord, I who am only dust and ashes. 28Suppose the fifty are five short. Will you destroy the whole city because five are missing?” He said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” 29Abraham spoke to him again: “Suppose there are forty.” He replied, “Because of the forty I will not do it.” 30He said, “Do not be angry, Lord, if I speak again. Suppose there are thirty.” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.” 31He said, “I have dared to speak to the Lord; suppose there are twenty.” He replied, “Because of the twenty I will not destroy it.” 32He said, “Do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak only this one time more. Suppose there are ten.” He replied, “Because of the ten I will not destroy it.” 33The LORD went on his way when he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham went back to his own place.