Genesis Chapter 18:

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Verses from Genesis, Chapter 18 of the book of Genesis of the Bible.

Genesis - Old Testament — Genesis – Old Testament

The three visitors

1. The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oak groves of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance to the tent, in the heat of the day.
2. When he raised his eyes, he looked, and behold three men standing before him. Seeing them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, prostrated himself on the ground
3. and said: My Lord, if I have found grace before you, I pray you, do not pass from your servant.
4. Bring some water to wash your feet and rest under the tree.
5. I will bring you a piece of bread to restore your strength. Afterwards, you will be able to continue your journey, since that is why you passed on to your servant. They replied: Do as you said.
6. Abraham hastened to enter Sarah's tent, and said to her, Make haste in three measures of fine flour; knead it and make bread.
7. Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8. Then he took butter and milk and the calf that he had prepared and placed them in front of them, standing next to them under the tree; and they ate.
9. And they asked him, Where is Sarah thy wife? He replied: It is there in the tent.
10. One of them said, Surely I will return to you at this time, a year from now; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. Sara listened at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sara had stopped menstruating.
12. So Sarah laughed within herself, saying, Shall I still have pleasure after I have grown old, even though my lord is old?
13. The Lord asked Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh, saying: Is it true that I will still give birth, when I have grown old?
14. Is anything too difficult for the Lord? In a year, according to the time of life, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.
15. Sarah lied, saying: I didn't laugh. Because I was afraid. But he answered, It is not so; you really laugh.
16. So the men stood up from there and looked towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them to accompany them.

Abraham intercedes for Sodom

17. The Lord said, I will hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18. seeing that Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
19. For I have chosen him to command his children and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord and to do righteousness and judgment, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what he spoke to his respect.
20. The Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is great.
21. I will now go down and see if, indeed, they have done according to the cry that is coming to me; and if not, I will know.
22. The men turned away from there and went to Sodom; but Abraham still stood before the Lord.
23. Abraham came and said: You will destroy the righteous together with the wicked.
24. If there be fifty righteous people in the city, will you destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
25. Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous may be like the wicked! Far away from you! Would not the Judge of all the earth do justice?
26. The Lord said: If I find in Sodom fifty righteous people within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sakes.
27. Abraham returned to him, saying: Behold, I have dared to speak to the Lord, I who am dust and ashes.
28. If every five of them there are fifty righteous people missing, will you destroy the whole city because of the five? He replied: I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.
29. And Abraham continued to speak to him, saying, What if forty are found there? And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
30. Abraham said, Let not the Lord be angry, if I say, What if thirty are found there? And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31. Abraham continued: Behold, I dared to speak to the Lord: What if twenty were found there? And he said, I will not destroy it, for the twenty's sake.
32. And Abraham said, Let not the Lord be angry, for I will speak only this once more: What if ten are found there? And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.
33. The Lord withdrew after he had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.