And Jehovah appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
And he lift up his eyes, and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
and said, My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant;
let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet. Rest yourselves under the tree,
and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on, for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do as thou hast said.
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Knead quickly three seahs of wheaten flour, and make cakes.
And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave it to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it.
And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. and Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old, shall I have pleasure, and my lord old?
And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
And Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
And the men rose up, and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them, to bring them on the way.
And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment; that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto, me; and if not, I will know.
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy, and not spare, the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
Far be it from thee to do so, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked—far be it from thee! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?
And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes.
Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.
And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty’s sake.
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
And he said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak with the Lord. Perhaps there may be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
And Jehovah went away when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.