¹ 亚伯兰年九十九岁的时候，耶和华向他显现，对他说：我是全能的神。你当在我面前作完全人，

² 我就与你立约，使你的後裔极其繁多。

³ 亚伯兰俯伏在地；神又对他说：

⁴ 我与你立约：你要作多国的父。

⁵ 从此以後，你的名不再叫亚伯兰，要叫亚伯拉罕，因为我已立你作多国的父。

⁶ 我必使你的後裔极其繁多；国度从你而立，君王从你而出。

⁷ 我要与你并你世世代代的後裔坚立我的约，作永远的约，是要作你和你後裔的神。

⁸ 我要将你现在寄居的地，就是迦南全地，赐给你和你的後裔永远为业，我也必作他们的神。

⁹ 神又对亚伯拉罕说：你和你的後裔必世世代代遵守我的约。

¹⁰ 你们所有的男子都要受割礼；这就是我与你并你的後裔所立的约，是你们所当遵守的。

¹¹ 你们都要受割礼(原文作割阳皮；14，23，24，25节同)；这是我与你们立约的证据。

¹² 你们世世代代的男子，无论是家里生的，是在你後裔之外用银子从外人买的，生下来第八日，都要受割礼。

¹³ 你家里生的和你用银子买的，都必须受割礼。这样，我的约就立在你们肉体上作永远的约。

¹⁴ 但不受割礼的男子必从民中剪除，因他背了我的约。

¹⁵ 神又对亚伯拉罕说：你的妻子撒莱不可再叫撒莱，他的名要叫撒拉。

¹⁶ 我必赐福给他，也要使你从他得一个儿子。我要赐福给他，他也要作多国之母；必有百姓的君王从他而出。

¹⁷ 亚伯拉罕就俯伏在地喜笑，心里说：一百岁的人还能得孩子麽？撒拉已经九十岁了，还能生养麽？

¹⁸ 亚伯拉罕对神说：但愿以实玛利活在你面前。

¹⁹ 神说：不然，你妻子撒拉要给你生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫以撒。我要与他坚定所立的约，作他後裔永远的约。

²⁰ 至於以实玛利，我也应允你：我必赐福给他，使他昌盛，极其繁多。他必生十二个族长；我也要使他成为大国。

²¹ 到明年这时节，撒拉必给你生以撒，我要与他坚定所立的约。

²² 神和亚伯拉罕说完了话，就离开他上升去了。

²³ 正当那日，亚伯拉罕遵着神的命，给他的儿子以实玛利和家里的一切男子，无论是在家里生的，是用银子买的，都行了割礼。

²⁴ 亚伯拉罕受割礼的时候年九十九岁。

²⁵ 他儿子以实玛利受割礼的时候年十三岁。

²⁶ 正当那日，亚伯拉罕和他儿子以实玛利一同受了割礼。

²⁷ 家里所有的人，无论是在家里生的，是用银子从外人买的，也都一同受了割礼。

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.