Genesis 18
The Son of Promise
Then the Lord appeared to him by the aterebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 aSo he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; band when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let aa little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And aI will bring a morsel of bread, that byou may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, cinasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So ahe took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So he said, “Here, ain the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you aaccording to the time of life, and behold, bSarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now aAbraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah bhad passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah alaughed within herself, saying, b“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my clord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 aIs anything too hard for the Lord? bAt the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them ato send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, a“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be ablessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order athat he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because athe outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their bsin is very grave, 21 aI will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, bI will know.”
22 Then the men turned away from there aand went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham acame near and said, b“Would You also cdestroy the drighteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so athat the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! bShall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the Lord said, a“If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am abut dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, a“Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
bAnd He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
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