1 Now Yehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day. 2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and look, three men stood near him! And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My masters, if now I have found favor in Your eyes, please don’t pass on by your servant. 4 Please let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will get a piece of bread so you can strengthen your hearts. After that you may pass on, because this is why you have passed by your servant.”
They said, “Okay, do as you have said.”
6 And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry! Prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make flatbread cakes!” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to a young man, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 And he fetched butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it in front of them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
And he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you after the time of life; and look, Sarah your wife will have a son!”
(And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure? My master is old also!”
13 And Yehovah said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really give birth when I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Yehovah? At the appointed time I will return to you, after the time of life, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 And Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid.
And He said, “No, indeed you did laugh.”
16 And the men rose up from there and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way. 17 And Yehovah said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I will do? 18 Now Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him. 19 Indeed I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Yehovah, to do righteousness and justice; in order that Yehovah may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken about him.” 20 So Yehovah said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very weighty, 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done according to the outcry that has come to Me. And if not, I will know.”
22 And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood in front of Yehovah. 23 And Abraham came near, and said, “Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are 50 righteous within the city? Will You sweep away and not spare the place for the 50 righteous who are in it? 25 There’s no way You would do something like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous is as the wicked. There's no way You would. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 And Yehovah said, “If I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 And Abraham answered, “Look, please, I have decided to speak to my Master, and I am only dirt and dust. 28 What if of the 50 righteous, five will be lacking? Will you bring ruin on the whole city for lack of five?”
And He said, “I will not bring ruin on it if I find 45 there.”
29 And he continued on to speak to Him, and said, “What if there are 40 found there?”
And He said, “I will not do it for the sake of the 40.”
30 And he said, “Please don’t let my Master be angry, and I will speak. What if there are 30 found there?”
And He said, “I will not do it if I find 30 there.”
31 And he said, “Look, please, I have decided to speak to my Master. What if there are 20 found there?”
And He said, “I will not bring ruin on it for the sake of the 20.”
32 And he said, “Please don’t let my Master be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?”
And He said, “I will not bring ruin on it for the sake of the ten.”
33 And Yehovah went His way, as soon as He had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.