Three visitors come to Abraham's tent, and one announces that Sarah will have a son within a year. Sarah laughs, and the LORD asks whether anything is too hard for him. Abraham then pleads with God to spare Sodom.
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre : and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day ;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked , and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door , and bowed himself toward the ground ,
3 And said , My Lord , if now I have found favour in thy sight , pass not away , I pray thee, from thy servant :
4 Let a little water , I pray you , be fetched , and wash your feet , and rest yourselves under the tree :
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread , and comfort ye your hearts ; after that ye shall pass on : for therefore are ye come to your servant . And they said , So do , as thou hast said .
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah , and said , Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal , knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth .
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd , and fetcht a calf tender and good , and gave it unto a young man ; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter , and milk , and the calf which he had dressed , and set it before them ; and he stood by them under the tree , and they did eat .
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife ? And he said , Behold, in the tent .
10 And he said , I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life ; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son . And Sarah heard it in the tent door , which was behind him .
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age ; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women .
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself , saying , After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure , my lord being old also ?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham , Wherefore did Sarah laugh , saying , Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old ?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD ? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life , and Sarah shall have a son .
15 Then Sarah denied , saying , I laughed not; for she was afraid . And he said , Nay ; but thou didst laugh .
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom : and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way .
17 And the LORD said , Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which 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 hath spoken of him.
20 And 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, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know .
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom : but Abraham stood yet before the LORD .
23 And Abraham drew near , and said , Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city : wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein ?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner , to slay the righteous with the wicked : and that the righteous should be as the wicked , that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?
26 And the LORD said , If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city , then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said , Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord , which am but dust and ashes :
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous : wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five ? And he said , If I find there forty and five , I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again , and said , Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said , I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry , and I will speak : Peradventure there shall thirty be 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 : Peradventure there shall be 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 : Peradventure ten shall be 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 left communing with Abraham : and Abraham returned unto his place .