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v1
And Yahweh appeared to him ^[Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day.
v2
And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near ^[Or “by”; the context requires some distance for Abraham to run to them] him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground.
v3
And he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant.
v4
Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest under the tree.
v5
And let me bring a piece of bread, then ^[Or “and”] refresh yourselves. ^[Literally “your heart”] Afterward you can pass on, once ^[Literally “for therefore”] you have passed by with your servant.” Then they said, “Do so as you have said.”
v6
Then ^[Or “And”] Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, “Quickly—make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!“
v7
And Abraham ran to the cattle and took a calf, ^[Literally “a son of cattle”] tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he made haste to prepare it.
v8
Then he took curds and milk, and the calf which he prepared, and set it before them. And he was standing by them under the tree while ^[Or “and”] they ate.
v9
And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Here, in the tent.”
v10
And he ^[Yahweh] said, “I will certainly return to you in the spring, ^[Literally “at the time of life”] and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him.
v11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; ^[Literally “going in the days”] the way of women ^[Literally “the road according to women”] had ceased to be for Sarah.
v12
So ^[Or “And”] Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?“
v13
Then Yahweh said to Abraham, “What is this that Sarah laughed, saying, ‘Is it indeed true that I will bear a child, now that I have grown old?‘
v14
Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring ^[Literally “at the time of life”] and Sarah shall have a son.”
v15
But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. He ^[Yahweh] said, “No, but you did laugh.”
v16
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down upon Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way. ^[Literally “to send them away”]
v17
Then Yahweh said, “Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do?
v18
Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him.
v19
For I have chosen ^[Or “have known”] him, that he will command his children and his household after him that they will keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham that which he said to him.”
v20
Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very serious, ^[Literally “heavy”]
v21
I will go down and I will see. Have they done altogether according to its cry of distress which has come to me? If not, I will know.”
v22
And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. And Abraham was still standing before Yahweh.
v23
And Abraham drew near to Yahweh and said, “Will you also sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
v24
If perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city, will you also sweep them away and not forgive the place on account of the fifty righteous in her midst?
v25
Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, that ^[Or “and”] the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?“
v26
And Yahweh said, “If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, in the midst of the city, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”
v27
Then Abraham answered and said, “Look, please, I was bold to speak to my Lord, but I am dust and ashes.
v28
Perhaps the fifty righteous are lacking five—will you destroy the whole city on account of the five?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
v29
And once again he spoke ^[Literally “And he added again to speak”] to him and said, “What if ^[Or “Perhaps”] forty are found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it on account of the forty.”
v30
And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if ^[Or “Perhaps”] thirty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
v31
And he said, “Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if ^[Or “Perhaps”] twenty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
v32
And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What if ^[Or “Perhaps”] ten are found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
v33
Then Yahweh left, ^[Or “went”] as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.