The Three Visitors

1And YHWH appeared to him by the Oaks† of Mamre, and he was sitting in the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day. 2And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him. And he saw them, and he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and he bowed himself to the earth.

3And he said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, please, do not pass on by Your servant. 4Please let a little water be brought, and wash your⁺ feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your⁺ hearts; afterward, you⁺ may pass on, for upon thus you⁺ have come to your⁺ servant.”

And they said, “Yes, you may do as you have said.”

6And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly take three seahs of fine meal,† knead it, and make cakes.”

7And Abraham ran to the herd, and he took a tender and good son of the herd and gave it to the young man, and he hurried to prepare it. 8And he took butter and milk and the son of the herd that he had prepared, and he set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

9And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

And he said, “Behold, in the tent.”

10And He said, “I will surely return to you according to the time of life; and behold—a son to Sarah, your wife.”

And Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, and it was behind him. 11And Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be for Sarah the way of women. 12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I am worn out, shall there be to me pleasure? And my lord is old!”

13And YHWH said to Abraham, “Why did this one, Sarah, laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly bear a child when I am old?’ 14Is any word is too difficult for YHWH? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and unto Sarah will be a son.†”

15And Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16And the men rose from there and looked on the face of Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to send them off.

17And YHWH said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? 18And Abraham will surely become a nation great and mighty, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 19For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his house after him that they keep the way of YHWH by doing what is right and just, that YHWH may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

20And YHWH said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous, 21I will go down now and see whether the outcry against it that has come to Me they have done completely—and if not, I will know.”

22And the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, and Abraham still stood before YHWH.

23And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there were fifty righteous in the midst of the city; would You also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from You! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”

26And YHWH said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”

27And Abraham answered and said, “Behold, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, and I am dust and ash. 28Suppose there are lacking five of the fifty righteous? Would You destroy for the five the whole city?”

And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find there forty and five.”

29And he added again to speak to Him, and he said, “Suppose there should be found there forty?”

And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.”

30And he said, “Please, may the Lord not be hot, and I will speak. Suppose there should be found thirty.”

And He said, “I will not do it if I find there thirty.”

31And he said, “Behold, please, I have ventured to speak to the Lord. Suppose there should be found twenty.”

And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

32And he said, “Please may the Lord not be hot, and I will speak but once more. Suppose there should be found ten.”

And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”

33And YHWH went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.