RWebster - Genesis - 18

18:1  And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

18:2  And he lifted 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,

18:3  And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

18:4  Let a little water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

18:5  And I will bring a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that you shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

18:6  And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

18:7  And Abraham ran to the herd, and brought a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hasted 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 thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

18:10  And he said, I will certainly return to 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.

18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in years; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

18:13  And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, who am old?

18:14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

18:15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst 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 the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18:18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

18:19  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 righteousness and justice; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

18:20  And the LORD 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 the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.

18:22  And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

18:23  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

18:24  Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it?

18:25  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?

18:26  And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

18:27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I who am dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the Lord.

18:28  Suppose 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 .

18:29  And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Suppose there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

18:30  And he said, O let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

18:31  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

18:32  And he said, O let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Suppose ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

18:33  And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.