Birth of Isaac Promised

18 Now (A)the Lord appeared to [a]Abraham by the [b](B)oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three (C)men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground, and said, “[c]My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not [d]pass Your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and (D)wash [e]your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree; and I will [f](E)bring a piece of bread, so that you may [g]refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have [h]visited your servant.” And they said, “So do as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “[i]Quickly, prepare three [j]measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and [k]choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree [l]as they ate.

Then they said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 He said, “(F)I will certainly return to you [m]at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now (G)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was (H)past [n]childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed [o]to herself, saying, “(I)After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my (J)lord being old also?” 13 But the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?’ 14 (K)Is anything too [p]difficult for the Lord? At the (L)appointed time I will return to you, [q]at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it, however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

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Notas al pie

  1. Genesis 18:1 Lit him
  2. Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
  3. Genesis 18:3 Or O Lord
  4. Genesis 18:3 Lit pass away from Your servant
  5. Genesis 18:4 I.e., referring to the three visitors
  6. Genesis 18:5 Lit take
  7. Genesis 18:5 Lit sustain your heart
  8. Genesis 18:5 Lit come to
  9. Genesis 18:6 Lit Hasten three measures
  10. Genesis 18:6 Heb seah; one seah is about 7 qt. or 7.7 liters
  11. Genesis 18:7 Lit good
  12. Genesis 18:8 Lit and
  13. Genesis 18:10 Lit when the time revives
  14. Genesis 18:11 Lit the way of women
  15. Genesis 18:12 Lit within
  16. Genesis 18:14 Or wonderful
  17. Genesis 18:14 Lit when the time revives

A Son Is Promised to Sarah

18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

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Notas al pie

  1. 18:6 Hebrew 3 seahs, about half a bushel or 22 liters.