18:1   One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the LORD appeared to him.

18:2   Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,

18:3   and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you.

18:4   I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under the tree.

18:5   Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you." "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer."

18:6   Abraham quickly went to his tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread."

18:7   After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared.

18:8   He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat. While they were eating, he stood near them under the trees,

18:9   and they asked, "Where is your wife Sarah?" "She is right there in the tent," Abraham answered.

18:10   One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son." Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent.

18:11   Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children.

18:12   So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?"

18:13   The LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age?

18:14   I am the LORD! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son."

18:15   Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." "Yes, you did!" he answered.

18:16   When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.

18:17   The LORD said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do,

18:18   since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth.

18:19   I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. Then I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised."

18:20   The LORD said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things.

18:21   Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."

18:22   The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the LORD stayed with Abraham,

18:23   who asked, "LORD, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good?

18:24   Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it?

18:25   You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right."

18:26   The LORD replied, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed."

18:27   Abraham answered, "I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, LORD, for daring to speak to you like this.

18:28   But suppose there are only forty-five good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?" "If I find forty-five good people," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city."

18:29   "Suppose there are just forty good people?" Abraham asked. "Even for them," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city."

18:30   Abraham said, "Please don't be angry, LORD, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty good people in the city." "If I find thirty," the LORD replied, "I still won't destroy it."

18:31   Then Abraham said, "I don't have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only twenty?" "Because of them, I won't destroy the city," was the LORD's answer.

18:32   Finally, Abraham said, "Please don't get angry, LORD, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there." "For the sake of ten good people," the LORD told him, "I still won't destroy the city."

18:33   After speaking with Abraham, the LORD left, and Abraham went back home.