^{1 Ref} And Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day;

^{2 Ref} and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,

^{3 Ref} And he saith, `My Lord, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, do not, I pray thee, pass on from thy servant;

^{4 Ref} let, I pray thee, a little water be accepted, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree;

^{5 Ref} and I bring a piece of bread, and support ye your heart; afterwards pass on, for therefore have ye passed over unto your servant;' and they say, `So mayest thou do as thou has spoken.'

^{6 Ref} And Abraham hasteth towards the tent, unto Sarah, and saith, `Hasten three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes;'

^{7 Ref} and Abraham ran unto the herd, and taketh a son of the herd, tender and good, and giveth unto the young man, and he hasteth to prepare it;

^{8 Ref} and he taketh butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he hath prepared, and setteth before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they do eat.

^{9 Ref} And they say unto him, `Where `is' Sarah thy wife?' and he saith, `Lo -- in the tent;'

^{10 Ref} and he saith, `returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.'

^{11 Ref} And Sarah is hearkening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;

^{12 Ref} and Abraham and Sarah `are' aged, entering into days -- the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah;

^{13 Ref} and Sarah laugheth in her heart, saying, `After I have waxed old I have had pleasure! -- my lord also `is' old!'

^{14 Ref} And Jehovah saith unto Abraham, `Why `is' this? Sarah hath laughed, saying, Is it true really -- I bear -- and I am aged? Is any thing too wonderful for Jehovah? at the appointed time I return unto thee, about the time of life, and Sarah hath a son.'

^{15 Ref} And Sarah denieth, saying, `I did not laugh;' for she hath been afraid; and He saith, `Nay, but thou didst laugh.'

^{16 Ref} And the men rise from thence, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away;

^{17 Ref} and Jehovah said, `Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing,

^{18 Ref} and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?

^{19 Ref} for I have known him, that he commandeth his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of Jehovah), to do righteousness and judgment, that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.'

^{20 Ref} And Jehovah saith, `The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah -- because great; and their sin -- because exceeding grievous:

^{21 Ref} I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely -- and if not -- I know;'

^{22 Ref} and the men turn from thence, and go towards Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before Jehovah.

^{23 Ref} And Abraham draweth nigh and saith, `Dost Thou also consume righteous with wicked?

^{24 Ref} peradventure there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; dost Thou also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty -- the righteous who `are' in its midst?

^{25 Ref} Far be it from Thee to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it hath been -- as the righteous so the wicked -- far be it from Thee; doth the Judge of all the earth not do justice?'

^{26 Ref} And Jehovah saith, `If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.'

^{27 Ref} And Abraham answereth and saith, `Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I -- dust and ashes;

^{28 Ref} peradventure there are lacking five of the fifty righteous -- dost Thou destroy for five the whole of the city?' and He saith, `I destroy `it' not, if I find there forty and five.'

^{29 Ref} And he addeth again to speak unto Him and saith, `Peradventure there are found there forty?' and He saith, `I do `it' not, because of the forty.'

^{30 Ref} And he saith, `Let it not be, I Pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, `I do `it' not, if I find there thirty.'

^{31 Ref} And he saith, `Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, `I do not destroy `it', because of the twenty.'

^{32 Ref} And he saith, `Let it not be, I pray Thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: peradventure there are found there ten?' and He saith, `I do not destroy `it', because of the ten.'

^{33 Ref} And Jehovah goeth on, when He hath finished speaking unto Abraham, and Abraham hath turned back to his place.

^{1 Ref} And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

^{2 Ref} and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

^{3 Ref} and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

^{4 Ref} let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

^{5 Ref} and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

^{6 Ref} And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.

^{7 Ref} And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

^{10 Ref} And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

^{11 Ref} Now Abraham and Sarah were old, `and' well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

^{12 Ref} And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

^{13 Ref} And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?

^{14 Ref} Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.

^{15 Ref} Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

^{16 Ref} And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

^{17 Ref} And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do;

^{18 Ref} seeing that Abraham had surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

^{19 Ref} For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

^{20 Ref} And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

^{21 Ref} 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 Ref} And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.

^{23 Ref} And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?

^{24 Ref} Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

^{25 Ref} That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

^{26 Ref} And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.

^{27 Ref} And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:

^{28 Ref} peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.

^{29 Ref} 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 the forty's sake.

^{30 Ref} And he said, 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 Ref} 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 the twenty's sake.

^{32 Ref} 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 the ten's sake.

^{33 Ref} And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.