|
The First Book of Moses: Called Genesis, Chapter 18
|
1 |
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat
in the tent door in the heat of the day;
|
2 |
And he lift 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,
|
3 |
And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy
sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
|
4 |
Let a little
water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves
under the tree:
|
5 |
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort
ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come
to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
|
6 |
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make
ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes
upon the hearth.
|
7 |
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good,
and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
|
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
did eat.
|
9 |
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said,
Behold, in the tent.
|
10 |
And he said, I will certainly return unto 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.
|
11 |
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it
ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
|
12 |
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed
old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
|
13 |
And the LORD
said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a
surety bear a child, which am old?
|
14 |
Is any thing too hard for
the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to
the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
|
15 |
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.
And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
|
16 |
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and
Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
|
17 |
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I
do;
|
18 |
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty
nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
|
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
justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which
he hath spoken of him.
|
20 |
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grievous;
|
21 |
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 |
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward
Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
|
23 |
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
|
24 |
Peradventure there be fifty
righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the
place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
|
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?
|
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.
|
27 |
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
|
28 |
Peradventure 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.
|
29 |
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 forty's
sake.
|
30 |
And he said unto him, 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 |
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 twenty's sake.
|
32 |
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 ten's sake.
|
33 |
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with
Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
|