1 And Jehovah appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent opening in the heat of the day.

2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent opening to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

3 and said, My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your eyes, do not pass on by Your servant.

4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may strengthen your hearts. After that you may pass on, for this is why you have passed along by your servant. They said, Do as you have said.

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.

7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.

8 And 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. And they ate.

9 And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? So he said, Here, in the tent.

10 And He said, I will come back to return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening from the tent opening which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and it had ceased to be after the manner of women with Sarah.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, Being worn out, shall I be delighted, my lord, having also become old?

13 And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why has Sarah laughed, saying, Shall I surely give birth, I who have become old?

14 Is anything beyond the power of Jehovah? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, 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 toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way.

17 And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

18 since 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 known him, in order that he may command his children and his house after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken to him.

20 And Jehovah said, The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is exceedingly heavy.

21 I 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.

22 And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before Jehovah.

23 And Abraham approached and said, Would You also sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

24 Suppose 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?

25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, 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?

26 And Jehovah 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 and said, Behold now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:

28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, Suppose there should be forty found there? And He said, I will not do it for the sake of forty.

30 Then he said, Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there? And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there? And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

32 And 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.

33 And Jehovah went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.