18:1 And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.

18:2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.

18:3 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant.

18:4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.

18:5 And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.

18:6 Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.

18:7 And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it.

18:8 He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.

18:9 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo she is in the tent.

18:10 And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.

18:11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.

18:12 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?

18:13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?

18:14 Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.

18:15 Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.

18:16 And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.

18:17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:

18:18 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?

18:19 For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.

18:20 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.

18:21 I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.

18:22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.

18:23 And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?

18:24 If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?

1:25.Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.

18:26 And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

18:27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.

18:28 What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.

18:29 And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.

18:30 Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

18:31 Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord: What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

18:32 I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.

18:33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.