THE
BOOK OF GENESIS
Genesis Chapter 18
1
¶ And the LORD appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre:
as he sat in the tent door during the heat of the day;
2
And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when
he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself
toward the ground,
3
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, I pray you, do not
pass by your servant:
4
Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under
the tree:
5
While I fetch a morsel of bread, so you may refresh yourselves; after that you
shall pass on: since you have come to your servant. And they said, So do, as you have said.
6
And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, Quickly
make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes on the
hearth.
7
And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it
to a young man; and he hurried to prepare it.
8
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set it
before them; and he stood by them under the tree, while they ate.
9
¶ And they said to him, Where is Sarah your
wife? And he said, There in the tent.
10
And the Lord said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of
life; and, lo, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah heard it in
the tent door, which was behind him.
11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in age; and
it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After
I am grown old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old?
13
And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Will I, who am old,
really bear a child?
14
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you,
according to the time of life, and Sarah will have a son.
15
Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but you did laugh.
16
¶ And the men rose up from there, and looked toward
17
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do;
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 know him, that he will command his children and his household after him,
and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the
LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has promised him.
20
And the LORD said, Because the cry of
21
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry, that has come to me; and if not, I will know.
22
And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward
23
¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the
wicked?
24
Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and
not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25
Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked:
so that the righteous fare as the wicked, far be that from you: Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do right?
26
And the LORD said, If I find in
27
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I, who am but dust and ashes,
have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord:
28
Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking: will you destroy the entire
city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty-five, I will
not destroy it.
29
And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Suppose that
forty shall be found there. And he said, I will not do
it for forty’s sake.
30
And he said to him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak:
Suppose thirty are 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: Suppose
there are 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 angry, and I will
speak yet but this once: Suppose ten are found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
33
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham:
and Abraham returned to his place.