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Birth of Isaac Promised

¹ Now ^(C1)the LORD appeared to ^(F1)Abraham by the ^(F2)(C2)oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.² When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three ^(C1)men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground,³ and said, "^(F1)My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not ^(F2)pass Your servant by.⁴ "Please let a little water be brought and ^(C1)wash ^(F1)your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree;⁵ and I will ^(F1)(C1)bring a piece of bread, so that you may ^(F2)refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have ^(F3)visited your servant." And they said, "So do as you have said."⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "^(F1)Quickly, prepare three ^(F2)measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes."⁷ Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and ^(F1)choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.⁸ He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree ^(F1)as they ate.

⁹ Then they said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent."¹⁰ He said, "^(C1)I will certainly return to you ^(F1)at this time next year; and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.¹¹ Now ^(C1)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was ^(C2)past ^(F1)childbearing.¹² So Sarah laughed ^(F1)to herself, saying, "^(C1)After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my ^(C2)lord being old also?"¹³ But the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I actually give birth to a child, when I am so old?'¹⁴ "^(C1)Is anything too ^(F1)difficult for the LORD? At the ^(C2)appointed time I will return to you, ^(F2)at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."¹⁵ Sarah denied it, however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."

¹⁶ Then ^(C1)the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off.^17 (C1)The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham ^(C2)what I am about to do,¹⁸ since Abraham will certainly become a great and ^(F1)mighty nation, and in him ^(C1)all the nations of the earth will be blessed?¹⁹ "For I have ^(F1)(C1)chosen him, so that he may ^(C2)command his children and his household after him to ^(C3)keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham ^(C4)what He has spoken about him."²⁰ And the LORD said, "^(C1)The outcry 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 done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know."

Abraham Appeals for Sodom

²² Then ^(C1)the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before ^(C2)the LORD.²³ Abraham approached and said, "^(C1)Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?²⁴ "Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not ^(F1)spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?²⁵ "Far be it from You to do ^(F1)such a thing, to kill 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 ^(F2)deal justly?"²⁶ So the LORD said, "^(C1)If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will ^(F1)spare the entire place on their account."²⁷ And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ^(F1)ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only ^(C1)dust and ashes.²⁸ "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."²⁹ And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."³⁰ Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."³¹ And he said, "Now behold, I have ^(F1)ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."³² Then he said, "^(C1)Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."³³ As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham ^(C1)the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.