¹ 耶和華在幔利橡樹那裡向亞伯拉罕顯現出來。那時正熱，亞伯拉罕坐在帳棚門口，

² 舉目觀看，見有三個人在對面站著。他一見，就從帳棚門口跑去迎接他們，俯伏在地，

³ 說：我主，我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你不要離開僕人往前去。

⁴ 容我拿點水來，你們洗洗腳，在樹下歇息歇息。

⁵ 我再拿一點餅來，你們可以加添心力，然後往前去。你們既到僕人這裡來，理當如此。他們說：就照你說的行罷。

⁶ 亞伯拉罕急忙進帳棚見撒拉，說：你速速拿三細亞細麵調和作餅。

⁷ 亞伯拉罕又跑到牛群裡，牽了一隻又嫩又好的牛犢來，交給僕人，僕人急忙預備好了。

⁸ 亞伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶，並預備好的牛犢來，擺在他們面前，自己在樹下站在旁邊，他們就吃了。

⁹ 他們問亞伯拉罕說：你妻子撒拉在那裡？他說：在帳棚裡。

¹⁰ 三人中有一位說：到明年這時候，我必要回到你這裡；你的妻子撒拉必生一個兒子。撒拉在那人後邊的帳棚門口也聽見了這話。

¹¹ 亞伯拉罕和撒拉年紀老邁，撒拉的月經已斷絕了。

¹² 撒拉心裡暗笑，說：我既已衰敗，我主也老邁，豈能有這喜事呢？

¹³ 耶和華對亞伯拉罕說：撒拉為甚麼暗笑，說：我既已年老，果真能生養麼？

¹⁴ 耶和華豈有難成的事麼？到了日期，明年這時候，我必回到你這裡，撒拉必生一個兒子。

¹⁵ 撒拉就害怕，不承認，說：我沒有笑。那位說：不然，你實在笑了。

¹⁶ 三人就從那裡起行，向所多瑪觀看，亞伯拉罕也與他們同行，要送他們一程。

¹⁷ 耶和華說：我所要作的事豈可瞞著亞伯拉罕呢？

¹⁸ 亞伯拉罕必要成為強大的國；地上的萬國都必因他得福。

¹⁹ 我眷顧他，為要叫他吩咐他的眾子和他的眷屬遵守我的道，秉公行義，使我所應許亞伯拉罕的話都成就了。

²⁰ 耶和華說：所多瑪和蛾摩拉的罪惡甚重，聲聞於我。

²¹ 我現在要下去，察看他們所行的，果然盡像那達到我耳中的聲音一樣麼？若是不然，我也必知道。

²² 二人轉身離開那裡，向所多瑪去；但亞伯拉罕仍舊站在耶和華面前。

²³ 亞伯拉罕近前來，說：無論善惡，你都要剿滅麼？

²⁴ 假若那城裡有五十個義人，你還剿滅那地方麼？不為城裡這五十個義人饒恕其中的人麼？

²⁵ 將義人與惡人同殺，將義人與惡人一樣看待，這斷不是你所行的。審判全地的主豈不行公義麼？

²⁶ 耶和華說：我若在所多瑪城裡見有五十個義人，我就為他們的緣故饒恕那地方的眾人。

²⁷ 亞伯拉罕說：我雖然是灰塵，還敢對主說話。

²⁸ 假若這五十個義人短了五個，你就因為短了五個毀滅全城麼？他說：我在那裡若見有四十五個，也不毀滅那城。

²⁹ 亞伯拉罕又對他說：假若在那裡見有四十個怎麼樣呢？他說：為這四十個的緣故，我也不作這事。

³⁰ 亞伯拉罕說：求主不要動怒，容我說，假若在那裡見有三十個怎麼樣呢？他說：我在那裡若見有三十個，我也不作這事。

³¹ 亞伯拉罕說：我還敢對主說話，假若在那裡見有二十個怎麼樣呢？他說：為這二十個的緣故，我也不毀滅那城。

³² 亞伯拉罕說：求主不要動怒，我再說這一次，假若在那裡見有十個呢？他說：為這十個的緣故，我也不毀滅那城。

³³ 耶和華與亞伯拉罕說完了話就走了；亞伯拉罕也回到自己的地方去了。

¹ Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

³ and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.

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

⁵ I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

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

⁷ Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

⁸ He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹ They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."

¹⁰ He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

¹² Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

¹³ Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'

¹⁴ Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."

¹⁵ Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

¹⁶ The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

¹⁷ Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

¹⁸ since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

¹⁹ For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

²⁰ Yahweh 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 their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."

²² The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.

²³ Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

²⁵ Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"

²⁶ Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."

²⁷ Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

²⁸ What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

²⁹ He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."

³⁰ He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

³¹ He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

³² He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."

³³ Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.