 1 The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked and three men stood by him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed toward the ground. 3 He said, My Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass away from your servant, I pray. 4 Let a little water be brought, I pray, to wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5 I will bring a bite of bread and will comfort your hearts. After that you shall pass on. For this is why you have come to your servant. They said, Do as you have said. 6 Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly make three measures of fine meal. Knead it and make cakes. 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and brought a calf, tender and good. He gave it to a young man and hurried to dress it. 8 He took butter and milk and the calf that he had dressed and set it before them. Then he stood by them under the tree and they ate. 9 They said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? He said, Behold, in the tent. 10 He said, I certainly will return to you according to the time of life and your wife Sarah will have a son. Sarah heard in the tent door that was behind Him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, far gone in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself saying, After being so old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 The Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh saying, Shall I, who am old, truly bear a child? 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return again, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied saying, I did not laugh. For she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh. 16 The men rose from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham was going with them to bring them on the way. 17 The Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do, 18 Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the persons of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his house after him and they will keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken of him. 20 The Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it that has come to me. And if not, I will know. 22 The men turned their faces away from there and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Abraham drew near and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are 50 righteous within the city. Will you also destroy and not spare the place for the 50 righteous that are in it? 25 Far be it from you to act in this manner, to kill the righteous with the wicked. Far be it from you, that the righteous should be like the wicked. Will the Judge of all the earth not do right? 26 The Lord said, If I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 Abraham said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. 28 Perhaps there will be five lacking from the 50 righteous. Will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find there 45, I will not destroy it. 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, Perhaps there shall be 40 found there. And He said, I will not do it for 40. 30 He said, Do not let the Lord be angry and I will speak. Perhaps 30 will be found there. He said, I will not do it if I find 30 there. 31 He said, Lo now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be 20 found there. He said, I will not destroy it for 20. 32 He said, Do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. 33 The Lord went His way as soon as He had stopped talking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.
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