Genesis 18

And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the great trees of Mamre, while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

He looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.

“Sir,” he said, “if I've found favour with you, don't go past your servant.

Let me get a bit of water, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.

Let me get you something to eat, and then you can go on your way — seeing you've come by your servant.” “That's fine,” they said. “Do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said. “Three measures of the good flour. Knead it and make some bread.”

Then he ran out to the herd, picked out a good tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to get it ready.

He brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set it in front of them. And he stood near them under the tree while they ate.

“Where's your wife Sarah?” they asked. “In the tent,” he said.

And the Lord said, “I'll come back to you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, behind him.

Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah was past the age of having children.

So Sarah laughed to herself. “Now that I'm worn out and my husband's old, am I going to have that kind of pleasure?”

And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Am I really going to have a child, old as I am?’

Is anything too hard for the Lord? I'll come back to you at the set time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was frightened, and she lied. “I didn't laugh.” But He said, “Yes you did.”

Then the men got up to leave and looked out toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.

And the Lord said, “Am I going to hide from Abraham what I'm about to do?

Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.

I've chosen him, so that he'll direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what's right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He's promised him.”

And the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is loud, and their sin is very bad.

I'm going down to see whether what they've done is as bad as the outcry that's reached me. And if not, I'll know.”

So the men turned and headed for Sodom, but Abraham stayed standing before the Lord.

And Abraham came up close and said, “Are You really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty?

What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Are You really going to sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty?

Far be it from You to do such a thing — to kill the innocent with the guilty, treating them the same. Far be it from You. Won't the Judge of all the earth do what's right?”

And the Lord said, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole place for their sake.”

And Abraham said, “Now that I've been bold enough to speak to the Lord, and I'm nothing but dust and ashes —

what if the fifty are five short? Would You destroy the whole city for the sake of five?” “If I find forty-five there,” He said, “I won't destroy it.”

And Abraham spoke to Him again. “What if forty are found there?” “For the sake of forty, I won't do it,” He said.

And he said, “Don't be angry, Lord, but let me speak. What if thirty are found there?” “I won't do it if I find thirty,” He said.

And he said, “Now that I've been bold enough to speak to the Lord — what if twenty are found there?” “For the sake of twenty, I won't destroy it,” He said.

And he said, “Don't be angry, Lord, but let me speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” “For the sake of ten, I won't destroy it,” He said.

And when the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He went, and Abraham went back home.