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The First Book of Moses, Called
Genesis
CHAPTER 18.
And the LORD appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre: and he
sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood
before him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the
tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight,
pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your
feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your
hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for as much as ye are come
to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make
ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make
cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and
good, and gave it unto a servant; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had
dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under
the tree as they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said,
Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee at this time next year;
and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent
door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well advanced in age; and
it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am
waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh,
saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child when I am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I
will return unto thee, at this time next year, and
Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.
And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and
Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which
I do;
18 Seeing that 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 chosen him, that he will command his children and his
household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD,
to do righteousness and justice; that the LORD may bring upon
Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether
according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not,
I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward
Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou indeed destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt
thou indeed destroy and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the
righteous with the wicked: so that the righteous should be as
the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within
the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon
me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
28 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.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there
shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for
forty's sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh 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.
31 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.
32 And 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.
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
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