Scriptures
Genesis 18


Chapter 18

Abraham entertains three holy men—They promise that Sarah will have a son—Abraham will command his children to be just—The Lord appears to him—They discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

1 And the Lord aappeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three amen stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bbowed himself toward the ground,

3 And said, My aLord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and awash your feet, and brest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and acomfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye bcome to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted 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 thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, aSarah thy wife shall have a bson. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were aold and well stricken in age; and it bceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

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

13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah alaugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am bold?

14 Is any thing too ahard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the btime of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

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

17 And the Lord said, Shall I ahide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty anation, and all the bnations of the earth shall be cblessed in him?

19 For I aknow him, that he will bcommand his cchildren and his dhousehold after him, and they shall ekeep the way of the Lord, to do justice and fjudgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

20 And the Lord said, Because the acry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their bsin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will aknow.

22 aAnd the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham bstood yet before the Lord.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also adestroy the brighteous with the cwicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not aspare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the aJudge of all the earth do right?

26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty arighteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but adust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure 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 upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be aangry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will bnot destroy it for ten’s sake.

33 And the Lord awent his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.