1 Abraham stayed by the special trees belonging to Mamre. And Yahweh came and appeared to him again there. In the middle of the day Abraham was sitting at the doorway of his tent. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing there. He got up quickly and ran to them and bowed down and put his face to the ground, because people in that place did that in those days when strangers arrived at their homes.

3 Abraham said to them, “Don't go. Stay here for a while and I will look after you. 4 Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet. This is a good shady tree. Come and sit here to rest for a little while. 5 I will bring some food for you to eat to make you strong when you go on your way. I am very pleased that you have come to my place, so let me look after you.”

They answered, “Yes, what you are doing for us is good.”

6 Abraham hurried off and ran inside to Sarah and said, “Quickly, take the best flour and make dampers.”

7 Then he ran outside again and chose a good, fat calf for them to eat, and gave it to his servant, who killed it and cooked it.

When the meat was cooked and ready to eat, 8 Abraham took it with some milk and cream and other food, and brought it to the three men. There in the shade of the tree he himself looked after them while they ate.

9 Then they asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?”

He answered, “She is there inside.”

10 One of the men was Yahweh and he said to Abraham, “In nine months I will come back here, and your wife will have a son.”

Sarah was behind him. She was inside the tent, behind the door, listening to the men talking with Abraham. 11 Abraham and his wife were both very old now and Sarah's monthly periods had stopped.

12 So Sarah laughed to herself and thought, “How can I have a child? Now that I am an old woman, I am weak. How can I do that? My husband is already an old man. How can we have a child?”

13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did your wife laugh? Why did she say, ‘Am I really going to have a child, when I am an old woman?’ 14 I am Yahweh and I can do anything. I have already said, ‘In nine months I will come back and Sarah will have a son.’ ”

15 Sarah heard what Yahweh said from inside the tent. She was afraid, and she said, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did,” Yahweh answered. “You laughed.”

16 Then the three men left and Abraham went with them. They went up a hill and looked down from there towards Sodom.

17 And Yahweh said to himself, “I will tell this man what I am going to do. I won't hide it from Abraham, I will speak about it now. 18 His descendants will become a great nation. I will bless all the nations in the same way I am blessing him today. 19 I have chosen Abraham so that he can tell his sons to obey me. Then they in their turn will tell their sons to obey me and do what is right. If they obey me I will bless them as I have promised Abraham.”

20 Then Yahweh spoke to Abraham and said, “I have been told that those people of Sodom and Gomorrah are very wicked. They are doing bad things all the time. 21 I must go down and see if the things I have heard are true.”

22 Then the two men left and went on down the hill and over towards Sodom. But Yahweh stayed there with Abraham. 23 Abraham asked Yahweh, “Are you really going to destroy the wicked people and the good people too? 24 If there are fifty good people in the city, will you destroy all the people? Won't you leave the city as it is to save the good people? 25 You won't kill them all, the good and the bad. Surely not! You can't do that! You can't punish good people. You are the one who must judge everyone, and so you must do what is right.”

26 Yahweh answered, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom today, I will leave their city alone for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke again. He said, “I am bold speaking to you, Lord, but please let me say a few more words. I am only an ordinary man. I am not good enough to speak to you. 28 But maybe there will only be forty-five good people. If there aren't five more, will you destroy the whole city?”

Yahweh answered, “No. I will not destroy the city today.”

29 Then Abraham spoke again. He said, “Maybe there will only be forty good people. Then what will you do?”

Yahweh answered, “Then I will not destroy the city today.”

30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, but let me speak again. Maybe there will only be thirty good people. Then what will you do?”

Yahweh answered, “Then I will not destroy the city today.”

31 Abraham said, “I am bold still speaking to you, Lord, but please let me say more. Maybe there will only be twenty good people. Then what will you do?”

Yahweh answered, “Then I will not destroy the city today.”

32 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, and I will speak just once more. Maybe there will only be ten good people. Then what will you do?”

Yahweh answered, “If there are ten good people I will not destroy the city.” 33 Then Yahweh finished speaking and left Abraham, and Abraham went home.

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