THE FIRST BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
G E N E S I S
Genesis 18 ©
Two angels, and the Lord Himself, appear unto Abraham in the shape of three men, whom he friendly invites and entertains, vs. 1. Receives the promise of a son by Sarah the next year, 10. Sarah laughs at it, and is reproved, 12. The two angels go on to Sodom, but the Lord remains speaking with Abraham, to whom He declares His purpose of destroying Sodom, Gomorrah, etc. 16. Abraham intercedes fervently for those of Sodom, and God answers and satisfies him, 23.
AND the LORD appeared unto 1him in the 2plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three 3men stood by him: and when he saw them, hea ran to meet them from the tent door, and 4bowed himself toward the ground,
And said, 5My Lord, 6if now I have found favour in 7thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Let a little water, I pray you, be 8fetched, and 9wash your feet, and 10rest yourselves under the tree:
And I will fetch a morsel of 11bread, and 12comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: 13for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly 14three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make 15cakes upon the hearth.
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a 16calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dressb it.
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it 17before them; and he 18stood by them under the tree, and they 19did eat.
¶And they said unto him, 20Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the 21tent.
And 22he said, Ic will certainly 23return unto thee 24according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was 25behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were olddand 26well stricken in age;eand it ceased 27to be with Sarah 28after the manner of women.
29Therefore Sarah laughed 30within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, myf lord being old also?
And 31the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
32Isg any thing too hard for the LORD? 33At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for 34she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
¶And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring 35them on the way.
And the LORD said, 36Shallh I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Seeing that Abraham shall surely 37become a great and mighty nation, and alli the nations of the earth shall be blessed 38in him?
For I know 39him, 40that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep 41the way of the LORD, 42to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
And the LORD said, Because 43the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
I will 44go down now, and see 45whether they have 46done altogether according 47to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
And 48the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
¶And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
49That 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 50the Judgej of all the earth do right?
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, 51which am but dust and ashes:
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.
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be 52forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
And he said unto him, 53Oh 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.
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.
54And 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.
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.