Genesis 18
International Standard Version
Abraham’s Three Visitors
18 Later, the Lord appeared to Abraham[a] by the oaks[b] belonging to Mamre. As Abraham[c] was sitting near the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day, 2 he glanced up and saw three men standing there, not far from him. As soon as he noticed them, Abraham[d] ran from the tent entrance to greet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 “My lords,” he told them, “if I have found favor with you,[e] please don’t leave your servant. 4 I’ll have some water brought to wash your feet while you rest under the tree. 5 I’ll bring some food for you,[f] and after that you may continue your journey, since you have come to visit your servant.”
So they replied, “Very well! Do what you’ve proposed.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent and told Sarah, “Quick! Take three measures[g] of the best flour, knead it, and make some flat bread.”
7 Next, Abraham ran to the herd, found a choice and tender calf, and gave it to the young men, who went off in a hurry to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds, milk, and the calf that had been prepared, placed the food in front of them, and stood near them under the tree while they ate.
Sarah Laughs at the Promise
9 The men asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
“There, in the tent,” he replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will certainly return to you in about a year’s time.[h] By then, your wife Sarah will have borne a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were old—really old[i]—and Sarah was beyond the age of childbearing.[j] 12 That’s why Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I’m so old and my husband is old, too, am I going to have sex?”[k]
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and think, ‘Am I really going to bear a child, since I’m so old?’ 14 Is anything impossible[l] for the Lord? At the time set for it, I will return to you—about a year from now—and Sarah will have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it. “I didn’t laugh,” she claimed, because she was afraid.
The Lord[m] replied, “No! You did laugh!”
God Reveals His Plans to Abraham
16 After this, the men set out from there and looked out over Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them off.
17 “Should I hide from Abraham what I’m about to do,” the Lord asked, 18 “since Abraham’s descendants will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him? 19 Indeed, I’ve made myself known to him in order that he may encourage his sons and his household that is born after him to keep the way of the Lord, and to do what is right and just, so that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what he has promised.” 20 The Lord also said, “How great is the disapproval of Sodom and Gomorrah! Their sin is so very serious! 21 I’m going down to see whether they’ve acted according to the protests that have reached me. If not, I wish to know.”
22 Then two of[n] the men turned away from there and walked toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing in the presence of the Lord.
Abraham Negotiates with God
23 Abraham approached and asked, “Will you actually destroy the righteous along with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are 50 righteous ones within the city. Will you actually destroy it and not forgive the place for the sake of the 50 righteous that are found there? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous along with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike! The Judge of all the earth will do what is right, won’t he?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find 50 righteous people within Sodom, I’ll forgive the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered, “Look, even though I am only dust and ashes, I’ve ventured to speak to my Lord. 28 What if there are five less than 50 righteous ones? Will you bring destruction upon the city because of those five?”
The Lord[o] said, “I won’t destroy it if I find 45 there.”
29 Abraham[p] continued to speak to him, asking, “What if 40 are found there?”
The Lord[q] replied, “I won’t do it for the sake of those 40.”
30 Abraham[r] then asked, “I hope my Lord will not be angry if I speak. What if 30 are found there?”
The Lord[s] answered, “I won’t do it for the sake of those 30.”
31 “Look,” Abraham[t] said, “I’ve presumed to speak to my Lord… so what if 20 are found there?”
“For the sake of those 20,” the Lord[u] responded, “I won’t destroy it.”
32 Finally, Abraham[v] inquired, “I hope my Lord will not be angry if I speak only once more. What if ten are found there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten I won’t destroy it.”
33 As soon as he finished talking to Abraham, the Lord left and Abraham returned to where he had been sitting.[w]
Footnotes
- Genesis 18:1 Lit. him
- Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
- Genesis 18:1 Lit. he
- Genesis 18:2 Lit. he
- Genesis 18:3 Lit. favor in your eyes
- Genesis 18:5 Lit. you, that you may nourish yourselves
- Genesis 18:6 Lit. seahs
- Genesis 18:10 Lit. you according to the time of life
- Genesis 18:11 Lit. well advanced in days
- Genesis 18:11 Lit. The way of women has ceased for Sarah
- Genesis 18:12 Lit. pleasure
- Genesis 18:14 Lit. wonderful
- Genesis 18:15 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:22 The Heb. lacks two of
- Genesis 18:28 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:29 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:29 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:30 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:30 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:31 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:31 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:32 Lit. He
- Genesis 18:33 Lit. to his place
Genesis 18
Names of God Bible
The Lord’s Sixth Promise to Abraham
18 Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oak trees belonging to Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 Abraham looked up, and suddenly he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them, and he bowed with his face touching the ground.
3 “Please, sir,” Abraham said, “stop by to visit me for a while. 4 Why don’t we let someone bring a little water? After you wash your feet, you can stretch out and rest under the tree. 5 Let me bring some bread so that you can regain your strength. After that you can leave, since this is why you stopped by to visit me.”
They answered, “That’s fine. Do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to find Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three measures of flour, knead it, and make bread.”
7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and took one of his best calves. He gave it to his servant, who prepared it quickly. 8 Abraham took cheese and milk, as well as the meat, and set these in front of them. Then he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 They asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
He answered, “Over there, in the tent.”
10 Yahweh said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were old. Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 And so Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “Now that I’ve become old, will I enjoy myself again? What’s more, my husband is old!”
13 Yahweh asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child now that I’m old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Because she was afraid, Sarah denied that she had laughed.
But Yahweh said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
The Lord Tells Abraham about His Plan
16 Then the men got up to leave. As Abraham was walking with them to see them off, they looked toward Sodom. 17 Yahweh said, “I shouldn’t hide what I am going to do from Abraham. 18 After all, Abraham is going to become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 19 I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his family after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what is right and just. In this way I, Yahweh, will do what I have promised Abraham.”
20 Yahweh also said, “Sodom and Gomorrah have many complaints against them, and their sin is very serious. 21 I must go down and see whether these complaints are true. If not, I will know it.”
22 From there the men turned and went on toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of Yahweh. 23 Abraham came closer and asked, “Are you really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty? 24 What if there are 50 innocent people in the city? Are you really going to sweep them away? Won’t you spare that place for the sake of the 50 innocent people who are in it? 25 It would be unthinkable for you to do such a thing, to treat the innocent and the guilty alike and to kill the innocent with the guilty. That would be unthinkable! Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is fair?”
26 Yahweh said, “If I find 50 innocent people inside the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham asked, “Consider now, if I may be so bold as to ask you, although I’m only dust and ashes, 28 what if there are 45 innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of 5 fewer people?”
Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.”
29 Abraham asked him again, “What if 40 are found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of the 40 I will not do it.”
30 “Please don’t be angry if I speak again,” Abraham said. “What if 30 are found there?”
He answered, “If I find 30 there, I will not do it.”
31 “Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you,” Abraham said. “What if 20 are found there?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20.”
32 “Please don’t be angry if I speak only one more time,” Abraham said. “What if 10 are found there?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 10.” 33 When Yahweh finished speaking to Abraham, he left. Abraham returned home.
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The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.