The Three Visitors

1And Jehovah will be seen to him at the oaks of Mamra: and he will sit at the entrance of his tent at the heat of the day. 2And he shall lift up his eyes and shall see, and behold, three men stood by him: and he will see and will run to meet them from the door of the tent, and will bow himself to the earth. 3And he will say, Lord, if now I found grace in thine eyes, now thou wilt not pass away from thy servant. 4Now he shall take a little water, and will wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5And I will take a bit of food, and strengthen your heart, afterwards ye shall pass away; for, for this ye passed over to your servant And they will say, Thou shalt do according to what thou saidst. 6And Abraham will hasten to the tent to Sarah, and will say, Hasten thou measures of the finest flour; knead and make cakes. 7And Abraham running to the oxen, will take the son of a cow, tender and good, and will give to the youth, and he will hasten to do it. 8And he will take curdled milk, and new milk, and the son of the cow which he did, and he will give before their face; and he stood by them under the tree, and they shall eat.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

9And they will say to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? and he will say, Behold, in the tent. 10And he will say, Returning, I will return to thee according to the time of life; and behold, a son to Sarah thy wife. And Sarah heard at the door of the tent, and she behind him. 11And Abraham and Sarah were old, being gone in days; the way according to women ceased to be to Sarah. 12And Sarah will laugh within her, saying, After it has not been to me till now, and my lord, being old. 13And Jehovah will say to Abraham, For what did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall truly even I bring forth, and I have become old? 14Shall the word of Jehovah be difficult, at the appointed time? I will return to thee, according to the time of life, and a son to Sarah. 15And Sarah will deny, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he will say, Nay, for thou didst laugh.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16And the men will rise up from thence, and will look forth upon the face of Sodom: and Abraham went forth with them to accompany them. 17And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I do? 18And Abraham being, shall be for a great and numerous nation, and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves in him. 19For I know him, for that he will command his sons and his house after him; and they watched the way of Jehovah to do justice and judgment, for Jehovah to bring upon Abraham what he spake to him. 20And Jehovah will say, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah became great, and because their sin was exceedingly heavy, 21I will go now and see whether they did wholly according to its cry coming to me; and if not, I shall know.

22And the men will turn back from thence, and will go forth to Sodom: and Abraham stood yet before the face of Jehovah. 23And Abraham will draw near, and will say, Wilt thou also destroy the just with the wicked. 24Perhaps there is fifty just in the midst of the city: wilt thou also destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty just which are within it? 25Far be it with respect to thee doing as this word to kill the just with the wicked; and for the just to be as the wicked, far be it with respect to thee: shall not the judge of all the earth do judgment? 26And Jehovah will say, If I shall find in Sodom fifty just, in the midst of the city, I forgive all the place for their sakes. 27And Abraham will answer and say, Behold now, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, and I dust and ashes. 28If the fifty just shall lack five: wilt thou destroy for sake of five all the city? And he will say, I will not destroy, if I shall find there forty and five. 29And he added yet to speak to him, and he will say, If forty shall be found there? And he will say, I will not do for sake of forty. 30And he will say, Now will it not kindle to the Lord, and I will speak: If thirty shall be found there? And he will say, I will not do, if I shall find thirty there. 31And he will say, Behold now, I have begun to speak to the Lord If twenty shall be found there? And he will say, I will not destroy for sake of twenty. 32And he will say, Now will it not be angry to the Lord, and I will speak only this once: If ten shall be found there? And he will say, I will not destroy for sake of ten. 33And Jehovah went forth after that he finished to speak to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.