Study Desk

Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.

And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground,

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.

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

"Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree;

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

and I will bring a piece of bread, so that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do as you have said."

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

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

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

Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.

And 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.

He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Then they said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent."

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

He said, "I will certainly return to you at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

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

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.

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

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

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

But the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?'

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

"Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

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

Sarah denied it, however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."

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

Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off.

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

The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

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

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

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

"For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."

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

And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.

And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

"I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know."

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

Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD.

And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord .

Abraham approached and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

"Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?

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

"Far be it from You to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

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

So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the entire place on their account."

And 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 replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only dust and ashes.

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

"Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

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

And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."

And 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.

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

And 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.

And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."

And 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.

Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."

And he said, Oh 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 not destroy it for ten's sake.

As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.