The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

Againe the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre, as he sate in his tent doore about the heate of the day.

And he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde.

And he said, Lord, if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, from thy seruant.

Let a litle water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feete, and rest your selues vnder the tree.

And I will bring a morsell of bread, that you may comfort your hearts, afterward ye shall go your wayes: for therefore are ye come to your seruant. And they said, Do euen as thou hast said.

Then Abraham made haste into the tent vnto Sarah, and saide, Make ready at once three measures of fine meale: kneade it, and make cakes vpon the hearth.

And Abraham ranne to the beastes, and tooke a tender and good calfe, and gaue it to the seruant, who hasted to make it ready.

And he tooke butter and milke, and the calfe, which he had prepared, and set before them, and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree, and they did eate.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

Then they saide to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he answered, Beholde, she is in the tent.

And he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. and Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him.

(Nowe Abraham and Sarah were old and striken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the maner of women)

Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxed olde, and my lord also, shall I haue lust?

And ye Lord saide vnto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah thus laugh, saying, Shall I certainely beare a childe, which am olde?

(Shall any thing be hard to the Lord? at the time appointed will I returne vnto thee, euen according to the time of life, and Sarah shall haue a sonne.)

But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not: for she was afraide. And he said, It is not so: for thou laughedst.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Afterwarde the men did rise vp from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

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

Seeing that Abraham shalbe in deede a great and a mightie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him?

For I knowe him that he will commande his sonnes and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him.

Then the Lord saide, Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorah is great, and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous,

I will goe downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me: and if not, that I may knowe.

And the men turned thence and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord.

Then Abraham drewe neere, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

If there be fiftie righteous within the citie, wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therein?

Be it farre from thee from doing this thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be euen as the wicked, be it farre from thee. shall not the Iudge of all the worlde doe right?

And the Lord answered, If I shall finde in Sodom fiftie righteous within the citie, then will I spare all the place for their sakes.

Then Abraham answered and said, Behold nowe, I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord, and I am but dust and ashes.

If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous, wilt thou destroy all the citie for fiue? And he saide, If I finde there fiue and fourtie, I will not destroy it.

And he yet spake to him againe, and saide, What if there shalbe found fourtie there? Then he answered, I will not doe it for fourties sake.

Againe he said, Let not my Lord nowe be angry, that I speake, What if thirtie be founde there? Then he saide, I will not doe it, if I finde thirtie there.

Moreouer he said, Behold, now I haue begonne to speake vnto my Lord, What if twentie be founde there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for twenties sake.

Then he saide, Let not my Lord be nowe angrie, and I will speake but this once, What if tenne be found there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for tennes sake.

And the Lord went his way when he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned vnto his place.

The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

He 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,

and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.

Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

I 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.”

Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs

(a)

of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”

Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

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.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

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

He 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.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I am old?’

Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”

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

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

The LORD said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

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

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 the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

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 their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

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?

May 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?”

The LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

The LORD went his way as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Footnotes

(a)18:6 1 seah is about 7 liters or 1.9 gallons or 0.8 pecks