18:1 And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
18:2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and noticed three men stood across from him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
18:3 and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, don't pass away, I pray you, from your slave:
18:4 let now a little water be fetched, and wash your+ feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
18:5 and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen your+ heart; after that you+ will pass on: since you+ have come to your+ slave. And they said, Do so, as you have said.
18:6 And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
18:7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the attendant; and he hurried to dress it.
18:8 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 ate.
18:9 And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Look, in the tent.
18:10 And he said, I will certainly return to you when the season comes around; and, see, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, [and] well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
18:12 And Sarah laughed inside herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
18:13 And Yahweh said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, who am old?
18:14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.
18:15 Then Sarah denied [it], saying, I didn't laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but you did laugh.
18:16 And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
18:17 And Yahweh said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do;
18:18 seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
18:19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his sons and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
18:20 And Yahweh said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to its [Sodom's] cry, which has come to me; and if not, I will know.
18:22 And the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
18:24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous inside the city: will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
18:25 Far be that from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be that from you: will not the Judge of all the earth do right?
18:26 And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous inside the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Seeing now that I have taken on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:
18:28 perhaps there will lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.
18:29 And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there will be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
18:30 And he said, Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak: perhaps there will be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
18:31 And he said, Seeing now that I have taken on myself to speak to the Lord: perhaps there will be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
18:32 And he said, Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: perhaps ten will be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
18:33 And Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.