Genesis 18:1-15

New International Reader's Version

Three Men Visit Abraham

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the large trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent. It was the hottest time of the day. ² Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. So he quickly left the entrance to his tent to greet them. He bowed low to the ground.

³ He said, “My lord, if you are pleased with me, don’t pass me by. ⁴ Let me get you some water. Then all of you can wash your feet and rest under this tree. ⁵ Let me get you something to eat to give you strength. Then you can go on your way. I want to do this for you now that you have come to me.”

“All right,” they answered. “Do as you say.”

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick!” he said. “Get about 36 pounds of the finest flour. Prepare it and bake some bread.”

⁷ Then he ran over to the herd. He picked out a choice, tender calf. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸ Then he brought some butter and milk and the calf that had been prepared. He served them to the three men. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“Over there in the tent,” he said.

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

Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby. ¹² So she laughed to herself. She thought, “I’m worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for me? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵ Sarah was afraid. So she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “Yes, you laughed.”