¹ 耶和华在幔利橡树那里向亚伯拉罕显现出来。那时正热，亚伯拉罕坐在帐棚门口，

² 举目观看，见有三个人在对面站着。他一见，就从帐棚门口跑去迎接他们，俯伏在地，

³ 说：我主，我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你不要离开仆人往前去。

⁴ 容我拿点水来，你们洗洗脚，在树下歇息歇息。

⁵ 我再拿一点饼来，你们可以加添心力，然後往前去。你们既到仆人这里来，理当如此。他们说：就照你说的行罢。

⁶ 亚伯拉罕急忙进帐棚见撒拉，说：你速速拿三细亚细面调和作饼。

⁷ 亚伯拉罕又跑到牛群里，牵了一只又嫩又好的牛犊来，交给仆人，仆人急忙预备好了。

⁸ 亚伯拉罕又取了奶油和奶，并预备好的牛犊来，摆在他们面前，自己在树下站在旁边，他们就吃了。

⁹ 他们问亚伯拉罕说：你妻子撒拉在那里？他说：在帐棚里。

¹⁰ 三人中有一位说：到明年这时候，我必要回到你这里；你的妻子撒拉必生一个儿子。撒拉在那人後边的帐棚门口也听见了这话。

¹¹ 亚伯拉罕和撒拉年纪老迈，撒拉的月经已断绝了。

¹² 撒拉心里暗笑，说：我既已衰败，我主也老迈，岂能有这喜事呢？

¹³ 耶和华对亚伯拉罕说：撒拉为甚麽暗笑，说：我既已年老，果真能生养麽？

¹⁴ 耶和华岂有难成的事麽？到了日期，明年这时候，我必回到你这里，撒拉必生一个儿子。

¹⁵ 撒拉就害怕，不承认，说：我没有笑。那位说：不然，你实在笑了。

¹⁶ 三人就从那里起行，向所多玛观看，亚伯拉罕也与他们同行，要送他们一程。

¹⁷ 耶和华说：我所要作的事岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢？

¹⁸ 亚伯拉罕必要成为强大的国；地上的万国都必因他得福。

¹⁹ 我眷顾他，为要叫他吩咐他的众子和他的眷属遵守我的道，秉公行义，使我所应许亚伯拉罕的话都成就了。

²⁰ 耶和华说：所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶甚重，声闻於我。

²¹ 我现在要下去，察看他们所行的，果然尽像那达到我耳中的声音一样麽？若是不然，我也必知道。

²² 二人转身离开那里，向所多玛去；但亚伯拉罕仍旧站在耶和华面前。

²³ 亚伯拉罕近前来，说：无论善恶，你都要剿灭麽？

²⁴ 假若那城里有五十个义人，你还剿灭那地方麽？不为城里这五十个义人饶恕其中的人麽？

²⁵ 将义人与恶人同杀，将义人与恶人一样看待，这断不是你所行的。审判全地的主岂不行公义麽？

²⁶ 耶和华说：我若在所多玛城里见有五十个义人，我就为他们的缘故饶恕那地方的众人。

²⁷ 亚伯拉罕说：我虽然是灰尘，还敢对主说话。

²⁸ 假若这五十个义人短了五个，你就因为短了五个毁灭全城麽？他说：我在那里若见有四十五个，也不毁灭那城。

²⁹ 亚伯拉罕又对他说：假若在那里见有四十个怎麽样呢？他说：为这四十个的缘故，我也不作这事。

³⁰ 亚伯拉罕说：求主不要动怒，容我说，假若在那里见有三十个怎麽样呢？他说：我在那里若见有三十个，我也不作这事。

³¹ 亚伯拉罕说：我还敢对主说话，假若在那里见有二十个怎麽样呢？他说：为这二十个的缘故，我也不毁灭那城。

³² 亚伯拉罕说：求主不要动怒，我再说这一次，假若在那里见有十个呢？他说：为这十个的缘故，我也不毁灭那城。

³³ 耶和华与亚伯拉罕说完了话就走了；亚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.