“1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat
in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and
looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not
away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you,
be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after
that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And
they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the
tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine
meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth. 7 And Abraham ran unto
the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave [it] unto a young
man; and he hasted to dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the
calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by
them under the tree, and they did eat.”
“9 And they said unto him, Where [is] Sarah thy wife? And he said,
Behold, in the tent. 10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee
according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.
And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him. 11 Now
Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased
to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed
within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my
lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did
Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return
unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he
said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.”
“16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and
Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD said,
Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham
shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of
the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep
the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring
upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And the LORD said,
Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is
very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done
altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if
not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and
went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.”
“23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the
righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous
within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the
fifty righteous that [are] therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after
this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in
Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place
for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes: 28
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou
destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there
forty and five, I will not destroy [it]. 29 And he spake unto him yet
again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he
said, I will not do [it] for forty’s sake. 30 And he said [unto him], Oh
let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall
thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty
there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto
the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I
will not destroy [it] for twenty’s sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the
Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten
shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten’s
sake. 33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.” (Ge 18:1-33 AV)
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