1   The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinths of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the opening of his tent in the heat of the day, he looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. 2   When he saw them, he ran from the opening of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3   ‘Sirs,’ he said, ‘if I have deserved your favour, do not pass by my humble self without a visit. 4   Let me send for some water so that you may wash your feet and rest under a tree; 5   and let me fetch a little food so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you may continue the journey which has brought you my way.’ They said, ‘Do by all means as you say.’ 6   So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Take three measures of flour quickly, knead it and make some cakes.’ 7   Then Abraham ran to the cattle, chose a fine tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurriedly prepared it. 8   He took curds and milk and the calf he had prepared, set it before them, and waited on them himself under the tree while they ate. 9   They asked him where Sarah his wife was, and he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ 10   The stranger said, ‘About this time next year I will be sure to come back to you, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ Now Sarah was listening at the opening of the tent, and he was close beside it. 11   Both Abraham and Sarah had grown

Abraham and Isaac very old, and Sarah was past the age of child-bearing. 12   So Sarah laughed to herself and said, ‘I am past bearing children now that I am out of my time, and my husband is old.’ 13   The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child when I am old?” 14   Is anything impossible for the Lord? In due season I will come back to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.’ 15   Sarah lied because she was frightened, and denied that she had laughed; but he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’

16   The men set out and looked down towards Sodom, and Abraham went with them to start them on their way. 17   The Lord thought to himself, ‘Shall I conceal from Abraham what I intend to do? 18   He will become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will pray to be blessed as he is blessed. 19   I have taken care of him on purpose that he may charge his sons and family after him to conform to the way of the Lord and to do what is right and just; thus I shall fulfil all that I have promised for him.’ 20   So the Lord said, ‘There is a great outcry over Sodom and Gomorrah; their sin is very grave. 21   I must go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry which has reached me. I am resolved to know the truth.’ 22   When the men turned and went towards Sodom, Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23   Abraham drew near him and said, ‘Wilt thou really sweep away good and bad together? 24   Suppose there are fifty good men in the city; wilt thou really sweep it away, and not pardon the place because of the fifty good men? 25   Far be it from thee to do this—to kill good and bad together; for then the good would suffer with the bad. Far be it from thee. Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?’ 26   The Lord said, ‘If I find in the city of Sodom fifty good men, I will pardon the whole place for their sake.’ 27   Abraham replied, ‘May I presume to speak to the Lord, dust and ashes that I am: suppose there are five short of the fifty good men? 28   Wilt thou destroy the whole city for a mere five men?’ He said, ‘If I find forty-five there I will not destroy it.’ 29   Abraham spoke again, ‘Suppose forty can be found there?’; and he said, ‘For the sake of the forty I will not do it.’ 30   Then Abraham said, ‘Please do not be angry, O Lord, if I speak again: suppose thirty can be found there?’ He answered, ‘If I find thirty there I will not do it.’ 31   Abraham continued, ‘May I presume to speak to the Lord: suppose twenty can be found there?’ He replied, ‘For the sake of the twenty I will not destroy it.’ 32   Abraham said, ‘I pray thee not to be angry, O Lord, if I speak just once more: suppose ten can be found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of the ten I will not destroy it.’ 33   When the Lord had finished talking with Abraham, he left him, and Abraham returned home.

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