| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. | 1Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. |
| 2So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, | 2And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. |
| 3and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. | 3“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. |
| 4Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. | 4Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. |
| 5And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” | 5And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.” |
| 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” | 6So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.” |
| 7And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. | 7Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. |
| 8So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. | 8Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate. |
| 9Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” | 9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied. |
| 10And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) | 10Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. |
| 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. | 11And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. |
| 12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” | 12So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” |
| 13And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ | 13And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ |
| 14Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” | 14Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.” |
| 15But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” | 15But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.” |
| 16Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. | 16When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off. |
| 17And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, | 17And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? |
| 18since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? | 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. |
| 19For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” | 19For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.” |
| 20And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, | 20Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, |
| 21I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” | 21I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.” |
| 22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. | 22And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. |
| 23And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? | 23Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? |
| 24Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? | 24What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? |
| 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 not the Judge of all the earth do right?” | 25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” |
| 26So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” | 26So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.” |
| 27Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: | 27Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes— |
| 28Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.” | 28suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” |
| 29And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.” | 29Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.” |
| 30Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” | 30Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.” |
| 31And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” | 31And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” |
| 32Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” | 32Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.” |
| 33So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. | 33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home. |
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