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Birth of Isaac Promised

¹ Now ^(C1)the LORD appeared to Abraham by the ^(C2)terebinth trees of Mamre in Hebron, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.² When he raised his eyes and looked up, behold, three ^(C1)men were standing a little distance from him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground,³ and Abraham said, "My ^(F1)lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass by your servant without stopping to visit.⁴ "Please let a little water be brought by one of my servants and you may ^(C1)wash your feet, and recline and rest comfortably under the tree.⁵ And I will ^(C1)bring a piece of bread to refresh and sustain ^(F1)you; after that you may go on, since you have come to your servant." And they replied, "Do as you have said."⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, get ready three ^(F1)measures of fine meal, knead it and bake cakes."⁷ Abraham also ran to the herd and brought a calf, tender and choice, and he gave it to the servant to butcher, and he hurried to prepare it.⁸ Then he took ^(F1)curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before the men; and he stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

⁹ Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent."¹⁰ He said, "^(C1)I will surely return to you at this ^(F1)time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. ^(VR1)11 Now ^(C1)Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in years; she was ^(C2)past the age of childbearing.¹² So Sarah laughed to herself when she heard the LORD'S words, saying, "^(C1)After I have become old, shall I have pleasure and delight, my ^(C2)lord (husband) being also old?" ^(VR1)13 And the LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh to herself, saying, 'Shall I really give birth to a child when I am so old?'¹⁴ "^(C1)Is anything too difficult or too wonderful for the ^ORD," occurs more than 5,000 times in the Bible.">(F1)LORD? At the ^(C2)appointed time, when the season for her delivery comes, I will return to you and Sarah will have a son." ^(VR1)15 Then Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh"; because she was afraid. And He (the LORD) said, "No, but you did laugh."

^16 (C1)Then the men got up from there, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham walked with them to send them on the way.^17 (C1)The LORD said, "Shall I keep secret from Abraham My friend and servant ^(C2)what I am going to do, ^(VR1)18 since Abraham ^(F1)is destined to become a great and mighty nation, and ^(C1)all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him? ^(VR1)19 "For I have ^(C1)known (chosen, acknowledged) him as My own, so that he may ^(C2)teach and command his children and the sons of his household after him to ^(C3)keep the way of the LORD by doing what is righteous and just, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham ^(C4)what He has promised him."²⁰ And the LORD said, "^(C1)The outcry of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.²¹ "I will ^(C1)go down now, and see whether they have acted as vilely and wickedly as the outcry which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know."

²² Now ^(C1)the two men (angelic beings) turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before ^(C2)the LORD.²³ Abraham approached the LORD and said, "^(C1)Will You really sweep away the righteous (those who do right) with the wicked (those who do evil)?²⁴ "Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You really sweep it away and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?²⁵ "Far be it from You to do ^(F1)such a thing—to strike the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not ^(C1)the Judge of all the earth do right by executing just and righteous judgment?"²⁶ So the LORD said, "^(C1)If I find within the city of Sodom fifty righteous people, then I will spare the entire place for their sake."²⁷ Abraham answered, "Now behold, I who am but ^(C1)dust in origin and ashes have decided to speak to the Lord. ^(VR1)28 "If five of the fifty righteous are lacking, will You destroy the entire city for lack of five?" And He said, "If I find at least forty-five righteous people there, I will not destroy it."²⁹ Abraham spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose only forty are found there." And He said, "I will not do it for the sake of the forty who are righteous."³⁰ Then Abraham said to Him, "Oh, may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak; suppose thirty righteous people are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."³¹ And he said, "Now behold, I have decided to speak to the Lord again. Suppose only twenty righteous people are found there?" And the Lord said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."³² Then Abraham said, "^(C1)Oh may the Lord not be angry with me, and I will speak only this once; suppose ten righteous people are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten."³³ As soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham ^(C1)the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his own place.