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Genesis 18

1Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the tent entrance in the heat of the day. 2He lifted his eyes and looked, and look, three men were standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed to the ground. 3He said, “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. 4Please let a little water be brought; wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5Let me bring a piece of bread, and strengthen your hearts. Afterward you may pass on, since you have come this way to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make cakes.” 7Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender, good calf, and gave it to the young man, who hurried to prepare it. 8He took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set them before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

9They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.” 10He said, “I will certainly return to you at this time next year, and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, behind him. 11Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased for Sarah. 12Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have worn out, will I have pleasure, with my lord also old?” 13Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really give birth, old as I am?’ 14Is anything too wonderful for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. He said, “No, you did laugh.”

16The men rose from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to send them on their way. 17Yahweh said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18when Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him? 19For I have known him, so that he may command his sons and his household after him to keep Yahweh's way by doing righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has spoken concerning him.” 20Yahweh said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy. 21I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.” 22The men turned from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before Yahweh.

23Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Perhaps there are fifty righteous people within the city. Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the fifty righteous people within it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare like the wicked. Far be it from you! Will the judge of all the earth not do justice?” 26Yahweh said, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27Abraham answered, “Look, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, though I am dust and ashes. 28Perhaps the fifty righteous people lack five. Will you ruin the whole city because of five?” He said, “I will not ruin it if I find forty-five there.” 29He spoke to him yet again and said, “Perhaps forty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.” 30He said, “Please let the Lord not be angry, and let me speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31He said, “Look, I have ventured to speak to the Lord. Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He said, “I will not ruin it for the sake of the twenty.” 32He said, “Please let the Lord not be angry, and let me speak just this once. Perhaps ten will be found there.” He said, “I will not ruin it for the sake of the ten.” 33Yahweh went away when he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Translation notes 4

18:1–8 — Visitors; Lord. The narrator identifies Yahweh's appearance, then describes three men. The Hebrew moves between plural and singular address; the draft preserves that movement without assigning a later theological identity to the group. Verse 3 is pointed as the divine title Lord, although a respectful human address is another interpretation. “Servant” is Abraham's deferential self-description.

18:6–14 — Food; pleasure. A seah is an ancient dry measure; three seahs makes the offered “piece of bread” generous hospitality. The way of women is a menstrual expression. Sarah's pleasure can include sexual and reproductive renewal; the verse does not reduce her remark to either alone. The time expression is understood as this time next year, in light of 17:21.

18:17–22 — Knowing; descent. God's knowing Abraham expresses a special relationship with a purpose, not mere awareness of his existence. The investigation is narrated as descent, sight, and knowing; these statements are retained without resolving their relation to divine knowledge in a doctrinal paraphrase. Verse 22 keeps Abraham standing before Yahweh, as the Hebrew base reads.

18:23–33 — Justice; intercession. The successive numbers and repeated requests are retained. Abraham asks both that the righteous not be killed with the wicked and that their presence spare the whole place. The exchange stops at ten; the text does not explain why he does not ask for fewer.