Genesis 18
English Standard Version
18 And the Lord appeared to him by the (A)oaks[a] of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. (B)When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord,[b] if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a (C)little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that (D)you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—(E)since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs[c] of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is (F)in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you (G)about this time next year, and (H)Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now (I)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 (J)So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, (K)“After I am worn out, and (L)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 (M)Is anything too hard[d] for the Lord? (N)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,[e] 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, (O)“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 (P)blessed in him? 19 For I have (Q)chosen[f] 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 (R)the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 (S)I will go down to see whether they have done altogether[g] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, (T)I will know.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
22 (U)So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham (V)still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, (W)“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, (X)so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! (Y)Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, (Z)“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, (AA)“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, (AB)“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.
Footnotes
- Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
- Genesis 18:3 Or My lord
- Genesis 18:6 A seah was about 7 quarts or 7.3 liters
- Genesis 18:14 Or wonderful
- Genesis 18:15 Or acted falsely
- Genesis 18:19 Hebrew known
- Genesis 18:21 Or they deserve destruction; Hebrew they have made a complete end
Bereshis 18
Orthodox Jewish Bible
18 And Hashem appeared unto him in the terebinth trees of Mamre; and he sat in the entrance of the ohel (tent) in the heat of the day;
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, hinei, Shloshah Anashim (Three Men, [Yeshayah 6:3]) stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the ohel, and prostrated himself on the ground,
3 And said, Adonoi [Hashem, see v.13], if now I have found chen (favor) in Thy sight, pass not on by, please, from Thy servant;
4 Let a little water, please, be brought, and wash Thy feet, and rest under haetz (the tree);
5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, and refresh Ye Your hearts; after that Ye shall pass on; because for this purpose are Ye come to Your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Avraham hastened into the ohel unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly shlosh measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
7 And Avraham ran unto the herd, and brought a calf tender and tov, and gave it unto a servant; and he hasted to prepare it.
8 And he took curds, and cholov (milk), and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under haetz, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Hinei, in the ohel.
10 And He said, I will certainly return unto thee at this time next year; and, hinei, Sarah thy wife shall have ben (son). And Sarah heard it in the entrance of the ohel, which was behind him.
11 Now Avraham and Sarah were zekenim (old ones) and well stricken in age; and [in childbearing] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed [titzchak, sounds like Yitzchak] within herself, saying, After I am grown old shall I have pleasure, adoni being old also?
13 And Hashem said unto Avraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I which am old of a surety bear a child?
14 Is any thing too hard for Hashem? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, in due season, and Sarah shall have ben (son).
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And He said, Oh yes but thou didst laugh.
16 And the Anashim rose up from thence, and peered toward S’dom; and Avraham went with them to send them on the way.
17 And Hashem said, Shall I hide from Avraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and kol goyei ha’aretz (all the nations of the earth) shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall be shomer over the Derech Hashem, to do tzedakah and mishpat; that Hashem may bring upon Avraham that which He hath spoken [promised] of him.
20 And Hashem said, Because the outcry of S’dom and Amora is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the crying out [for punishment] of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will have da’as.
22 And the Men turned their faces from thence, and went toward S’dom; but Avraham stood yet before Hashem.
23 And Avraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou also destroy the tzaddik with the rasha?
24 Suppose there be fifty tzaddikim within the city; wilt Thou also destroy and not nasa (spare [take away and bear the guilt of, Yeshayah 53:12]) the place lema’an (for the sake of) the fifty tzaddikim that are therein? [IK 3:18]
25 That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the tzaddik with the rasha; and that the tzaddik should be as the rasha, that be far from Thee: Shall not HaShofet Kol Ha’Aretz (the Judge of All the Earth) do mishpat (right)?
26 And Hashem said, If I find in S’dom fifty tzaddikim within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Avraham answered and said, Hinei now, I, which am but aphar and ashes, have taken upon me to speak unto Hashem;
28 Suppose there shall lack five of the fifty tzaddikim; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spoke unto Him yet again, and said, Suppose there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
30 And he said unto Him, Oh let not Hashem be angry, and I will speak; suppose there shall thirty be found there. And He said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Hinei now, I have taken upon me to speak unto Hashem: suppose there shall be twenty found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not Hashem be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: suppose asarah (ten, i.e., a minyan) shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of haasarah (the ten).
33 And Hashem went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Avraham; and Avraham returned unto his makom.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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