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[1]And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
[2]And he lifted 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 favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
[4]Let a little water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
[5]And I will bring a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that you 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 to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
[7]And Abraham ran to the herd, and brought a calf tender and good, and gave it to 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 ate.
[9]And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
[10]And he said, I will certainly return to 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 far advanced in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
[12]Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
[13]And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, who am old?
[14]Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to 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 will 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 to me; and if not, I will know.
[22]And the men turned their faces from thence, and went towards 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 are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it?
[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, who am dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the Lord.
[28]Peradventure there will 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 spoke to him yet again, and said, Peradventure there will be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
[30]And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there will 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 to the Lord: Peradventure there will 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 will 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 to his place.
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