Genesis 18:1 The Lord came to Abraham. Abraham was sitting in front of the door of his tent. This was near the trees of Mamre. It was very hot.
Genesis 18:2 Abraham looked and suddenly he saw 3 men standing not far from him. Abraham ran from his tent to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
Genesis 18:3 Abraham said: My Lord, if I have found grace in your eyes please do not go past my tent and go away. Please stay for a short while.
Genesis 18:4 I will bring you some water, and then you can wash your feet. You can rest here under this tree.
Genesis 18:5 I will also bring you some bread and when you have eaten enough, you can go on. I am happy that you have come to me, your servant. Then the men said to Abraham: Yes, you can do what you have said.
Genesis 18:6 Abraham quickly went to Sarah in the tent and told her: prepare enough flour for three loaves of bread.
Genesis 18:7 Then Abraham ran to his cattle and he chose the best young calf. Abraham gave the calf to his servant and told him to kill it and cook it.
Genesis 18:8 Abraham brought some cream and milk and the meat of the calf and Abraham gave it to the 3 men. They ate and Abraham stood with them under the tree.
Genesis 18:9 Then the 3 men they asked Abraham: Where is your wife, Sarah? Abraham answered and said: She is here in the tent.
Genesis 18:10 Then One of the men said to Abraham: I will come back next year and then Sarah will have a baby boy. Sarah was in the tent and she heard what He said.
Genesis 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby.
Genesis 18:12 Sarah laughed and said to herself: I am too old. I can not sleep with my husband and have a baby. He is also too old.
Genesis 18:13 The Man was the Lord Himself. He asked Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh? She thinks that she is too old to have a baby.
Genesis 18:14 I am the Lord. I can do anything that I want to do. I will come back next year at the time that I have said, and then Sarah will have a son.
Genesis 18:15 Sarah was afraid. Sarah lied and said: I did not laugh. But the Lord said: Yes, you did.
Genesis 18:16 The 3 men wanted to go. They looked at the city of Sodom and Abraham walked with them to send them on their way.
Genesis 18:17 The Lord said to Himself: Shall I, the Lord keep secret from Abraham about what I, the Lord am going to do.
Genesis 18:18 Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed because of him.
Genesis 18:19 I chose Abraham, and he will tell his children and his descendants to live as God want them to live, to live in the right way and not to do what is wrong, and then I, the Lord will give him everything that I, the Lord has promised him.
Genesis 18:20 The Lord said: Abraham, I, the Lord know that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing very bad things and that they sin a lot.
Genesis 18:21 I, God, am going to the cities to see if it is true. I want to know if those people are so bad.
Genesis 18:22 Then the other 2 of the men started to walk to the city of Sodom. But the Lord did not go but stayed with Abraham.
Genesis 18:23 Abraham asked God: Lord, when You punish those bad people, are You, the Lord also going to punish the people who are good?
Genesis 18:24 If there are 50 good people in the city, will You punish them with the bad people, or will You, the Lord save the city because there are 50 good people in it?
Genesis 18:25 I am sure that You will not kill the good people with the bad people. You will not punish the good people and the bad people in the same way. I know that You, God, are not like that. You, The Lord, are the Judge of the world and You always do what is right.
Genesis 18:26 The Lord said: If I, God, find 50 good people in the city of Sodom, I, God will not punish the people of the city. I, the Lord will save the city.
Genesis 18:27 Then Abraham said, compared to you, Lord, I am only dust and ashes. But let me bother you again and ask you this question.
Genesis 18:28 Abraham said, maybe there are only 45 good people in the city of Sodom. Will You then punish all the people in the city? God answered Abraham: If I find 45 good people in the city, I, the Lord will not punish them and I, the Lord will not destroy the city.
Genesis 18:29 Abraham said again: Maybe there are only 40 good people. And the Lord said: If there are 40 good people, I, the Lord will not destroy the city.
Genesis 18:30 Abraham asked: Lord, please do not be angry with me. What will You do if there are 30 good people in the city? The Lord said: If I find 30 good people in the city, I, the Lord will not destroy it.
Genesis 18:31 Then Abraham said: Please forgive me if I keep on asking You. Lord, what will You do if You find 20 good people there? The Lord answered: If there are 20 good people, I, the Lord will not destroy the city.
Genesis 18:32 Then Abraham said: Lord, please don’t be angry with me. I will ask You only one more time. If You find 10 good people there, what will You do? And the Lord said to Abraham: If I find 10 good people there, I, the Lord will not destroy the city.
Genesis 18:33 After the Lord had talked to Abraham, The LORD went away, and Abraham went to his home.