Then Yehowah appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre as he was sitting in the opening of the tent in the heat of the day; 2 and he raised his eyes and looked around, and there were three men standing in front of him; and when he saw them, he ran from the opening of the tent to meet them, and bowed down to the earth. 3 And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thine eyes, please do not pass by thy servant. 4 Let a little water be brought at once, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5 and I will fetch a little food so that you may refresh your hearts; you shall pass on afterwards; for this is why you have come to your servant. And they said, Do as you have said. 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, Take quickly three measures of meal of fine flour, knead it, and make some cakes. 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a young bull, tender and good, and gave it to the lad, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the young bull which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood near them under the tree while they ate.

9 And they said to him, Where is your wife Sarah? And he said, There, in the tent. 10 Then he said, I will certainly return to you when the time is ripe, and then your wife Sarah will have a son. And Sarah heard it at the tent opening which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 And Sarah laughed to herself; and said, After I have become old, shall I have this joy, my husband also being old? 13 Then Yehowah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, and say, Shall I really, in truth, bear a child, now that I am old? 14 Is anything too wonderful for Yehowah? At the set time I will return to you, when the time is ripe; and Sarah will have a son. 15 But Sarah denied it, and said, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No, but you did laugh.

16 And the men rose up from there and looked down towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 And Yehowah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do? 18 For Abraham will certainly become a great and numerous nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him. 19 For I know that he will command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of Yehowah by doing justice and judgment, in order that Yehowah may bring on Abraham what he has spoken concerning him. 20 And Yehowah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is loud, and because their sin is very serious, 21 I will now go down and see whether they have done altogether according to their cry which has come to me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men looked from there and went towards Sodom; but Abraham still stood before Yehowah. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou really consume the just with the wicked? 24 Perhaps there are fifty just persons in the city; wilt thou really consume it and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty just persons who are in it? 25 Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to kill the just with the wicked, so that the just will be like the wicked; far be it from thee; shall not the Judge of all the earth act rightly? 26 And Yehowah said, If I find at Sodom fifty just persons in the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sakes. 27 Then Abraham answered and said, There now, I have taken it on myself to speak to my Lord, and I am dust and ashes; 28 perhaps the fifty just persons will lack five; wilt thou destroy all the city for that five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there. 29 And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps forty will be found there. And he said, I will not do it for the sake of forty. 30 And he said, O do not let my Lord be incensed, but let me speak; perhaps thirty will be found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. 31 Then he said, See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to my Lord; perhaps twenty will be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. 32 And he said, O do not let my Lord be incensed, but let me speak only once more; perhaps ten will be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake often. 33 Then Yehowah departed when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.