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1 And the LORD appeared unto him by the oaks[a] of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

3 and said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please stay a while with your servant;

4 let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;

5 and I will fetch some bread to strengthen your heart; after that you shall pass on: for as much you have come to your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.”

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6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures[a] of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” And he said, “She is over there in the tent.”

10 And he said, “I will certainly return to you when the season comes round; and, you shall see that Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah heard from inside the tent door, which was behind him.”

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’

13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child when I am old?’

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh;” for she was afraid. And he said, “No, but you did laugh!”

16 And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I known that he will command his children and his household after him, to keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring to effect all the things he has spoken unto him.”

20 And the LORD said, “Because[f] the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done according to the cry I have heard, which has come unto me; and if not, I will know.”

22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you really destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city: will you destroy and not spare the place, for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 Far be it from you to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked; that is unlike you; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 And the LORD said, “If I find within Sodom fifty righteous people, then I will spare the whole city for their sake.”

27 And Abraham answered and said, “Behold now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord; I who am but dust and ashes:

28 perhaps there are just five less people from the fifty righteous: will you really destroy the city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty five.”

29 And he spoke to him yet again, and said, “Perhaps there shall be forty found there?” And he said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”

30 And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: perhaps there shall thirty be found there.” And he said, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Behold now, I have taken it upon myself to speak unto the Lord: What if there shall be twenty found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”

32 And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more: What if ten are found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”

33 And the LORD went his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.

[1a] Or, terebinths

[3b] Or, O Lord

[5c] Or, for therefore

[6a] lit. ‘seah’, one seah being about 7 liters.

[10d] Hebrew liveth, or, reviveth.

[11] Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

[14e] Or, wonderful

[20f] Or, Verily