Genesis 18

Birth of Isaac Promised

18NOW THE Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks {or} terebinths of Mamre; as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day,H3068H7200H436H4471H3427H168H6607H2527H31172He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood at a little distance from him. He ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the groundH5375H5869H7200H7969H582H5324H7200H7323H7125H168H6607H7812H7763And said, My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant, I beg of you.H559H136H4672H2580H5869H5674H56504Let a little water be brought, and you may wash your feet and recline {and} rest yourselves under the tree.H4592H4325H4994H3947H7364H7272H8172H60865And I will bring a morsel (mouthful) of bread to refresh {and} sustain your hearts before you go on further--for that is why you have come to your servant. And they replied, Do as you have said.H3947H6595H3899H5582H3820H310H5674H5674H5921H5650H1696H6213H5596So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly get ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and bake cakes.H85H4116H168H8283H559H4116H7969H5429H5560H7058H3888H6213H5692H62137And Abraham ran to the herd and brought a calf tender and good and gave it to the young man [to butcher]; then he [Abraham] hastened to prepare it.H85H7323H1241H3947H1121H1241H7390H2896H5414H5288H4116H62138And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had made ready, and set it before [the men]; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.H3947H2529H2461H1121H1241H6213H5414H6440H5975H6086H3989And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, [She is here] in the tent.H559H346H8283H802H559H16810[The Lord] said, I will surely return to you when the season comes round, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah was listening {and} heard it at the tent door which was behind Him.H559H7725H7725H6256H2416H8283H802H1121H8283H8085H168H6607H31011Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with [young] women. [She was past the age of childbearing].H85H8283H2205H935H3117H2308H8283H734H80212Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure {and} delight, my lord (husband), being old also?H8283H6711H7130H559H310H1086H5730H113H220413And the Lord asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I really bear a child when I am so old?H3068H559H85H4100H8283H6711H559H552H3205H589H220414Is anything too hard {or} too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season [for her delivery] comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son.H6381H1697H6381H3068H4150H7725H6256H2416H8283H112115Then Sarah denied it, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.H8283H3584H559H6711H3372H559H3808H671116The men rose up from there and faced toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.H582H6965H8259H6440H5467H85H1980H797117And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do,H3068H559H3680H85H834H621318Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him {and} shall bless themselves by him?H85H1419H6099H1471H1471H776H128819For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach {and} command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him.H3045H834H6680H1121H1004H310H8104H1870H3068H6213H6666H4941H3068H935H85H169620And the Lord said, Because the shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous,H3068H559H2201H5467H6017H7227H2403H3966H351321I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether [as vilely and wickedly] as is the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.H3381H7200H6213H3617H6818H935H304522Now the [two] men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.H582H6437H3212H5467H85H5975H5750H6440H306823And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) together with the wicked?H85H5066H559H5595H6662H5973H756324Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous; will You destroy the place and not spare it for [the sake of] the fifty righteous in it?H3426H2572H6662H8432H5892H5595H5375H4725H4616H2572H6662H713025Far be it from You to do such a thing--to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment {and} do righteously?H2486H6213H1697H4191H6662H7563H6662H7563H2486H8199H776H6213H494126And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous (upright and in right standing with God), I will spare the whole place for their sake.H3068H559H4672H5467H2572H6662H8432H5892H5375H472527Abraham answered, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord.H85H6030H559H2974H1696H136H595H6083H66528If five of the fifty righteous should be lacking--will You destroy the whole city for lack of five? He said, If I find forty-five, I will not destroy it.H2637H2568H2572H6662H7843H5892H2568H559H4672H705H2568H784329And [Abraham] spoke to Him yet again, and said, Suppose [only] forty shall be found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.H1696H3254H559H705H4672H559H6213H70530Then [Abraham] said to Him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak [again]. Suppose [only] thirty shall be found there. And He answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there.H559H4994H136H2734H1696H7970H4672H559H6213H4672H797031And [Abraham] said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak [again] to the Lord. Suppose [only] twenty shall be found there. And [the Lord] replied, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.H559H2974H1696H136H6242H4672H559H7843H624232And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.H559H136H2734H1696H389H6471H6235H4672H559H7843H623533And the Lord went His way when He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.H3068H3212H834H3615H1696H85H85H7725H4725