1 The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of the tent during the heat of the day.

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 Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed down to the ground.

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 He said, 'My Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass by Your servant.'

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4 Let a little water be brought so you can wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And let me get a piece of bread so you may refresh yourselves, and after that, you may go on your way—since you have come to your servant. And they said, 'Very well, do as you have said.'

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 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quickly prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.'

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 Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and good calf, and gave it to a servant, who hastened to prepare it.

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 He then brought curds, milk, and the calf he had prepared, and set them before the men. While they ate, he stood near them under the tree.

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 They asked him, 'Where is your wife Sarah?' He replied, 'There, in the tent.'

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 Then one of them said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.' Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

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, well along in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

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, saying, 'After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?'

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Can I really bear a child when I am old?”'

And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.

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 But Sarah denied it, saying, 'I did not laugh,' because she was afraid. But He replied, 'No, you did laugh.'

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to see them off.

And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17 Then the LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?'

And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all nations of the earth will be blessed.

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 chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.

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 the LORD said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grave.

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 if what they have done matches the outcry that has come to Me. If not, I will know.'

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 The men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 Then Abraham approached Him and said, 'Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked?'

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 'Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city. Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are there?'

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 'Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?'

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 The LORD replied, 'If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the entire place for their sake.'

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 Then Abraham answered, 'I have ventured to speak to the Lord, though I am but dust and ashes.

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 righteous people lack five. Will You destroy the entire city for lack of five?' He replied, 'If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.'

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 Once again Abraham spoke to Him, 'What if forty are found there?' He answered, 'For the sake of forty, I will not do it.'

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 Then Abraham said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if thirty are found there?' He replied, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.'

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 Abraham said, 'Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there.' He answered, 'For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.'

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 Finally, he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if ten are found there?' He answered, 'For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.'

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 the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.