The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham^(A) near the great trees of Mamre^(B) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent^(C) in the heat of the day. ² Abraham looked up^(D) and saw three men^(E) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.^(F)

³ He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(G) my lord,^[a] do not pass your servant^(H) by. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet^(I) and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat,^(J) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs^[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”^(K)

⁷ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf^(L) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ He then brought some curds^(M) and milk^(N) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.^(O) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?”^(P) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(Q)” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(R) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(S)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(T) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(U) 12} So Sarah laughed^(V) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(W) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(X) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(Y) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(Z) and Sarah will have a son.”^(AA)

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

¹⁶ When the men^(AB) got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham^(AC) what I am about to do?^{(AD) 18} Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation,^(AE) and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.^{[c] 19} For I have chosen him^(AF), so that he will direct his children^(AG) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord^(AH) by doing what is right and just,^(AI) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”^(AJ)

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom^(AK) and Gomorrah is so great^(AL) and their sin so grievous^{(AM) 21} that I will go down^(AN) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men^(AO) turned away and went toward Sodom,^(AP) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.^{[d](AQ) 23} Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?^{(AR) 24} What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[e] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?^{(AS) 25} Far be it from you to do such a thing^(AT)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous^(AU) and the wicked alike.^(AV) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge^(AW) of all the earth do right?”^(AX)

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.^(AY)”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,^{(AZ) 28} what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

³⁰ Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,^(BA) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹ Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”

He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

³² Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.^(BB) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,^(BC) I will not destroy it.”

³³ When the Lord had finished speaking^(BD) with Abraham, he left,^(BE) and Abraham returned home.^(BF)