¶ And the LORD appeared¹ unto him in the plains of Mamre²: and he sat³ in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he⁴ lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three⁵ men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran⁶ to meet them from the tent door, and bowed⁷ himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour⁸ in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet⁹, and rest yourselves under the tree¹⁰:

And I¹¹ will fetch a morsel of bread¹², and comfort¹³ ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come¹⁴ to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly¹⁵ three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

¹⁶And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

And he took¹⁷ butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood¹⁸ by them under the tree, and they¹⁹ did eat.

¶ And they said unto him, Where²⁰ is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in²¹ the tent.

¶ And he said²², I will certainly return unto thee according²³ to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah²⁴ thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old²⁵ and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the²⁶ manner of women.

Therefore Sarah laughed²⁷ within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my²⁸ lord being old also?

And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore²⁹ did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Is³⁰ any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will³¹ return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Then Sarah denied³², saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay³³; but thou didst laugh.

¶ And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring³⁴ them on the way.

³⁵And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

Seeing that Abraham shall surely become³⁶ a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

For I³⁷ know him, that he will command³⁸ his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the³⁹ LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

¶ And the LORD said, Because the cry⁴⁰ of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin⁴¹ is very grievous;

I will go down⁴² now, and see⁴³ whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know⁴⁴.

And the men⁴⁵ turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood⁴⁶ yet before the LORD.

¶ And Abraham drew⁴⁷ near, and said, Wilt⁴⁸ thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Peradventure there⁴⁹ be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare⁵⁰ the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

That be far⁵¹ from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the⁵² righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall⁵³ not the Judge⁵⁴ of all the earth do right?

⁵⁵And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have⁵⁶ taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust⁵⁷ and ashes:

Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt⁵⁸ thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I⁵⁹ find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

⁶⁰And 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.

¶⁶¹And 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.

⁶²And 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.

And he said, Oh⁶³ 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 not⁶⁴ destroy it for ten's sake.

And the⁶⁵ LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham⁶⁶ returned unto his place.