﻿Genesis.
Chapter 18.
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 
He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. 
He said, “My Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. 
Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet and rest under the tree. 
Let me bring a piece of bread to refresh you, and afterward you may go on, since you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Hurry! Take about half a bushel of fine flour, knead it, and make flatbreads.” 
Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender, good calf, and gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. 
He took curds and milk and the calf he had prepared and set them before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate. 
They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” He said, “There, in the tent.” 
He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. 
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped menstruating. 
Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Now that I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have pleasure?” 
The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really bear a child, now that I am old?’ 
Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 
Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But he said, “No, you did laugh.” 
The men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to see them on their way. 
The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 
seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 
For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what he has spoken concerning him.” 
The LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grave. 
I will go down and see whether their deeds fully match the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.” 
The men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 
Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 
Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people within it? 
Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous are treated like the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 
The LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous people within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 
Abraham answered, “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, though I am dust and ashes. 
Perhaps there are five fewer than fifty righteous people. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 
Abraham spoke to him again and said, “Perhaps forty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.” 
Then Abraham said, “Please, Lord, do not be angry, and let me speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 
Abraham said, “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 
Then Abraham said, “Please, Lord, do not be angry, and let me speak just once more. Perhaps ten will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” 
When he had finished speaking to Abraham, the LORD went away, and Abraham returned to his place. 
