Genesis 18:9-19:5

English Standard Version

⁹ They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is ^(A)in the tent.” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “I will surely return to you ^(B)about this time next year, and ^(C)Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹ Now ^(D)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ^12 (E)So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ^(F)“After I am worn out, and ^(G)my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ^14 (H)Is anything too hard^[a] for the Lord? ^(I)At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it,^[b] saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

¹⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, ^(J)“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be ^(K)blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have ^(L)chosen^[c] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because ^(M)the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ^21 (N)I will go down to see whether they have done altogether^[d] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, ^(O)I will know.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

^22 (P)So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham ^(Q)still stood before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, ^(R)“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, ^(S)so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! ^(T)Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, ^(U)“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷ Abraham answered and said, ^(V)“Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³² Then he said, ^(W)“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

God Rescues Lot

19 The ^(X)two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth ² and said, “My lords, ^(Y)please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night ^(Z)and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, ^(AA)“No; we will spend the night in the town square.” ³ But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. ^5 (AB)And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? ^(AC)Bring them out to us, that we ^(AD)may know them.”