[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; and 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 fetched 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, that he will command Abraham with 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 to him, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [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 destroy [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.
 
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