Genesis 18:1-21 ▼

1 And God appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth,

3 and said, |My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.

4 Now let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 I will get a bit of food so you may refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.| They said, |Very well, do as you have said.|

6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, |Quickly, get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.|

7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.

8 He took curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

9 They said to him, |Where is Sarah, your wife? He said, |See, in the tent.|

10 Then he said, |I will certainly return to you at the time of life. Look, Sarah your wife will have a son.| Sarah heard from the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

12 Sarah laughed within herself, saying, |After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my husband being old also?|

13 God said to Abraham, |Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child when I am old?'

14 Is anything too difficult for God? At the set time I will return to you, at the time of life, and Sarah will have a son.|

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, |I did not laugh,| for she was afraid. He said, |No, but you did laugh.|

16 The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

17 And God said, |Will I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

18 seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him?

19 For I have made myself known to him, so that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of God, to do righteousness and justice, so that God may bring to Abraham that which he has spoken to him.|

20 God said, |Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is so grievous,

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done entirely according to the outcry which has come to me. And if not, I will know.|