The Three Visitors

1Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day. 2And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men, standing near him. When he had seen them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and he reverenced them on the ground. 3And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant. 4But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5And I will set out a meal of bread, so that you may strengthen your heart; after this you will pass on. It is for this reason that you have turned aside to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have spoken.” 6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and he said to her, “Quickly, mix together three measures of the finest wheat flour and make loaves baked under the ashes.” 7In truth, he himself ran to the herd, and he took a calf from there, very tender and very good, and he gave it to a servant, who hurried and boiled it. 8Likewise, he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and he placed it before them. Yet truly, he himself stood near them under the tree.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

9And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.” 10And he said to him, “When returning, I will come to you at this time, with life as a companion, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent. 11Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?” 13Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’ 14Is anything difficult for God? According to the announcement, he will return to you at this same time, with life as a companion, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them. 17And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham, 18since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19For I know that he will instruct his sons, and his household after him, to keep to the way of the Lord, and to act with judgment and justice, so that, for the sake of Abraham, the Lord may bring about all the things that he has spoken to him.” 20And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous. 21I will descend and see whether they have fulfilled the work of the outcry that has reached me, or whether it is not so, in order that I may know.”

22And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord. 23And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious? 24If there were fifty of the just in the city, will they perish with the rest? And will you not spare that place for the sake of fifty of the just, if they were in it? 25Far be it from you to do this thing, and to kill the just with the impious, and for the just to be treated like the impious. No, this is not like you. You judge all the earth; you would never make such a judgment.” 26And the Lord said to him, “If I find in Sodom fifty of the just in the midst of the city, I will release the entire place because of them.” 27And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes. 28What if there were five less than fifty of the just? Would you, despite the forty-five, eliminate the entire city?” And he said, “I will not eliminate it, if I find forty-five there.” 29And again he said to him, “But if forty were found there, what would you do?” He said, “I will not strike, for the sake of the forty.” 30“I ask you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak. What if thirty were found there?” He responded, “I will not act, if I find thirty there.” 31“Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.” 32“I beg you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more. What if ten were found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” 33And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.