Genesis 18

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent duringthe hottest part of the day.	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 He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran fromthe entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground.	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 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.	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 me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.	4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you havecome in your servant's direction.' They replied, 'Do as you say.'	5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and makeloaves.'	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 Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurriedto prepare it.	7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid al before them, and they atewhile he remained standing near them under the tree.	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 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.	9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 Then his guest said, 'I shal come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.'Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.	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, wel on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthlyperiods.	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 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husbandis an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?'	12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I real y going to have a child nowthat I am old?"	13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shal come back to you at the same time next year and Sarahwil have a son.'	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 Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'	15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them tospeed them on their way.	16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,	17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 as Abraham wil become a great and powerful nation and al nations on earth wil bless themselvesby him?	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 have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahwehby doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'	19 For I know him, that he will command 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 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,	20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 that I shal go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me wouldsuggest. Then I shal know.'	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 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.	22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Wil you really destroy the upright with the guilty?	23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Wil you really destroy it? Wil you not spare theplace for the sake of the fifty upright in it?	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 Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guiltyfare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'	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 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I wil spare the whole placebecause of them.'	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 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust andashes:	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 Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' hereplied, 'I shal not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'	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 Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shal not do it,' he replied,'for the sake of the forty.'	29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord wil not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be foundthere?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'	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 do it, if I find thirty there.
31 He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shallnot destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'	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 He said, 'I trust my Lord wil not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there wil only be ten.' 'I shalnot destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'	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 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.	33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.