Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. ²He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, ³and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. ⁴Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

⁵I will get a piece 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.”

⁶Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. ⁸He 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.

⁹They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.”

¹⁰He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹³Jehovah said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I am old?’ ¹⁴Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

²²The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. ²³Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵May it be 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?”

²⁶Jehovah said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.

²⁸What 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.”

²⁹He 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.”

³⁰He 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.”

³¹He 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.”

³²He 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.”