Genesis 18:1–22

Yahweh Appears to Abraham as a Man

18And Yahweh appeared to him^a by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day. ²And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near^b him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground. ³And he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant. ⁴Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest under the tree. ⁵And let me bring a piece of bread, then^c refresh yourselves.^d Afterward you can pass on, once^e you have passed by with your servant.” Then they said, “Do so as you have said.” ⁶Then^f Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, “Quickly—make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!” ⁷And Abraham ran to the cattle and took a calf,^g tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he made haste to prepare it. ⁸Then 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^h they ate. ⁹And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Here, in the tent.” ¹⁰And heⁱ said, “I will certainly return to you in the spring,^j and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age;^k the way of women^l had ceased to be for Sarah. ¹²So^m Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall this pleasure be to me?” ¹³Then 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?’ ¹⁴Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you in the springⁿ and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. He^o said, “No, but you did laugh.”

¹⁶Then the men set out from there, and they looked down upon Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way.^{p 17}Then Yahweh said, “Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do? ¹⁸Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him. ¹⁹For I have chosen^q 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.” ²⁰Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very serious,^{r 21}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.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

²²And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. And Abraham was still standing before Yahweh.