The Son of Promise
1 Then theLordappeared to him by theterebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him;and when he sawthem,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 leta little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 AndI will bring a morsel of bread, thatyou may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by,inasmuch 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; kneaditand make cakes.”
7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gaveitto a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.
8 Sohe took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and setitbefore them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “WhereisSarah your wife?”
# So he said, “Here,in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to youaccording to the time of life, and behold,Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door whichwasbehind him.)
11 NowAbraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age;andSarahhad passed the age of childbearing.
12 Therefore Sarahlaughed within herself, saying,“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, mylord being old also?”
13 And theLordsaid to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bearachild,since I am old?’
14 Is anything too hard for theLord?At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah deniedit,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 themto send them on the way.
17 And theLordsaid,“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 beblessed in him?
19 For I have known him, in orderthat he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of theLord, to do righteousness and justice, that theLordmay bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
20 And theLordsaid, “Becausethe outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because theirsin is very grave,
21 I 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,I will know.”
22 Then the men turned away from thereand went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before theLord.
23 And Abrahamcame near and said,“Would You alsodestroy therighteous with the wicked?
24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spareitfor 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 thatthe righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You!Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So theLordsaid,“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 whoambut 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 forlackoffive?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroyit.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He said, “I will not doitfor 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 doitif 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 destroyitfor the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
# And He said, “I will not destroyitfor the sake of ten.”
33 So theLordwent His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.