Genesis 18:1-33 CEV

[1] One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the LORD appeared to him. [2] Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, [3] and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you. [4] I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under the tree. [5] Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you." "Thank you very much," they answered. "We accept your offer." [6] Abraham quickly went to his tent and said to Sarah, "Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread." [7] After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. [8] He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat. While they were eating, he stood near them under the trees, [9] and they asked, "Where is your wife Sarah?" "She is right there in the tent," Abraham answered. [10] One of the guests was the LORD, and he said, "I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son." Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. [11] Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. [12] So she laughed and said to herself, "Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?" [13] The LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? [14] I am the LORD! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son." [15] Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." "Yes, you did!" he answered. [16] When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them. [17] The LORD said to himself, "I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, [18] since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all other nations on earth. [19] I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. Then I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised." [20] The LORD said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. [21] Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it." [22] The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the LORD stayed with Abraham, [23] who asked, "LORD, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? [24] Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it? [25] You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right." [26] The LORD replied, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed." [27] Abraham answered, "I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, LORD, for daring to speak to you like this. [28] But suppose there are only forty-five good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?" "If I find forty-five good people," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city." [29] "Suppose there are just forty good people?" Abraham asked. "Even for them," the LORD replied, "I won't destroy the city." [30] Abraham said, "Please don't be angry, LORD, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty good people in the city." "If I find thirty," the LORD replied, "I still won't destroy it." [31] Then Abraham said, "I don't have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only twenty?" "Because of them, I won't destroy the city," was the LORD's answer. [32] Finally, Abraham said, "Please don't get angry, LORD, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten good people there." "For the sake of ten good people," the LORD told him, "I still won't destroy the city." [33] After speaking with Abraham, the LORD left, and Abraham went back home.