Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground,

2And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

3and said, "My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant.

3And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.

4Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant's way. Later, you can continue on." "Yes," they replied, "do as you have said."

5And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread."

6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

7Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it.

7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

8Then Abraham took curds and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.

8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he answered.

9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10The LORD said, "I will certainly come back to you in about a year's time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!" Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12So she laughed to herself: "After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?"

12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13But the LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Can I really have a baby when I'm old?'

13And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son."

14Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

15Sarah denied it. "I did not laugh," she said, because she was afraid. But he replied, "No, you did laugh."

15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

16The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off.

16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

17Then the LORD said, "Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham?

17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.

18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. This is how the LORD will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him."

19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

20Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.

20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out."

21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22The men turned from there and went toward Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23Abraham stepped forward and said, "Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it?

24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won't the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?"

25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27Then Abraham answered, "Since I have ventured to speak to my lord--even though I am dust and ashes--

27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" He replied, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29Then he spoke to him again, "Suppose forty are found there?" He answered, "I will not do it on account of forty."

29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

30Then he said, "Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

30And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31Then he said, "Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there?" He replied, "I will not destroy it on account of twenty."

31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

32Then he said, "Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time. Suppose ten are found there?" He answered, "I will not destroy it on account of ten."

32And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.