Genesis 18:1-15
Lexham English Bible
Yahweh Appears to Abraham as a Man
18 And Yahweh appeared to him[a] by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day. 2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near[b] him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground. 3 And he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest under the tree. 5 And let me bring a piece of bread, then[c] refresh yourselves.[d] Afterward you can pass on, once[e] you have passed by with your servant.” Then they said, “Do so as you have said.” 6 Then[f] Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, “Quickly—make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!” 7 And Abraham ran to the cattle and took a calf,[g] tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he made haste to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk, and the calf which he prepared, and set it before them. And he was standing by them under the tree while[h] they ate. 9 And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And he[i] said, “I will certainly return to you in the spring,[j] and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age;[k] the way of women[l] had ceased to be for Sarah. 12 So[m] Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?” 13 Then Yahweh said to Abraham, “What is this that Sarah laughed, saying, ‘Is it indeed true that I will bear a child, now that I have grown old?’ 14 Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring[n] and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. He[o] said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 18:1 Abraham
- Genesis 18:2 Or “by”; the context requires some distance for Abraham to run to them
- Genesis 18:5 Or “and”
- Genesis 18:5 Literally “your heart”
- Genesis 18:5 Literally “for therefore”
- Genesis 18:6 Or “And”
- Genesis 18:7 Literally “a son of cattle”
- Genesis 18:8 Or “and”
- Genesis 18:10 Yahweh
- Genesis 18:10 Literally “at the time of life”
- Genesis 18:11 Literally “going in the days”
- Genesis 18:11 Literally “the road according to women”
- Genesis 18:12 Or “And”
- Genesis 18:14 Literally “at the time of life”
- Genesis 18:15 Yahweh
Genesis 18:1-15
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!”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
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