18:1  Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day.

18:2  When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men stood opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth,

18:3  and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.

18:4  "Please let someone bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;

18:5  and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said."

18:6  So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes."

18:7  Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.

18:8  He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

18:9  Then they said to him, "Where has Sarah your wife gone?" And he said, "There, in the tent."

18:10  He said, " I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah listened at the tent door, which stood behind him.

18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah had grown old, advanced in age; Sarah had gone past childbearing.

18:12  Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old shall I have pleasure, my lord having grown old also?

18:13  And the LORD said to Abraham, " Why did Sarah laugh, saying ,'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I have become so old?'

18:14  "Do you find anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

18:15  Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she felt afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."

18:16  Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham walked with them to send them off.

18:17  The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I intend to do,

18:18  since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will receive a blessing?

18:19  "For I have chosen him, so 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 upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

18:20  And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah has waxed indeed great, and their sin has become exceedingly grave.

18:21  "I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know."

18:22  Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham still stood before the LORD.

18:23  Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

18:24  "Suppose you find fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who live in it?

18:25  "Could You do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked you treat alike. May it stay far from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

18:26  So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."

18:27  And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I consider myself but dust and ashes.

18:28  "Suppose the fifty righteous lack five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

18:29  He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose you find forty there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."

18:30  Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not become angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty live there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

18:31  And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose You find twenty there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."

18:32  Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not become angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose You find ten there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."

18:33  As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.