Genesis 18

1The 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.

2Abraham looked up and suddenly saw 3 men standing not far away. Abraham ran from his tent to meet the men and bowed down with his face to the ground.

3Abraham 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.

4I will bring you some water, and then you can wash your feet. You can rest here under this tree.

5I 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.

6Abraham quickly went to Sarah in the tent and told her: prepare enough flour for three loaves of bread.

7Then Abraham ran to his cattle and chose the best young calf. Abraham gave the calf to a servant and told the servant to kill it and cook it.

8Abraham 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.

9Then the 3 men asked Abraham: Where is your wife, Sarah? Abraham answered and said: She is here in the tent.

10One 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 heard what the LORD said.

11Abraham and Sarah were very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby.

12Sarah laughed and said to herself: I am too old. I cannot have a baby now, and my husband is old too.

13The LORD said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh and say, Can I really have a baby when I am old?

14I 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.

15Sarah was afraid. Sarah lied and said: I did not laugh. But the Lord said: Yes, you did.

16The 3 men wanted to go. They looked at the city of Sodom and Abraham walked with them to send them on their way.

17The LORD said: Should I keep secret from Abraham what I am about to do?

18Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed because of Abraham.

19I chose Abraham so that Abraham will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD, doing what is right and just. Then I will give Abraham everything that I have promised.

20The LORD said: The outcry against the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very serious.

21I will go down now to see whether the people there have done as bad as the outcry says. If not, I will know.

22Then the other 2 of the men started to walk to the city of Sodom. But the Lord did not go but stayed with Abraham.

23Abraham approached and said: Will you destroy the righteous along with the wicked?

24Suppose there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you destroy the city and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked the same way! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?

26The LORD said: If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

27Then Abraham said, compared to you, Lord, I am only dust and ashes. But let me bother you again and ask you this question.

28Abraham said, Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five? God answered: If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.

29Abraham spoke again: Suppose forty are found there. The LORD said: I will not destroy it, for the sake of the forty.

30Abraham said: Lord, please do not be angry with me if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there. The LORD said: I will not destroy it, if I find thirty there.

31Then Abraham said: Let me be so bold as to speak to the Lord again. Suppose twenty are found there. The LORD said: I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.

32Then Abraham said: Lord, please don't be angry with me. Let me speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there. The LORD said: I will not destroy it, for the sake of the ten.

33After the Lord had talked to Abraham, the LORD went away, and Abraham went to his home.