Genesis 18

Preparation of a Meal Genesis 18:6–8

⁶Verse 6. Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷Verse 7. Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it. ⁸Verse 8. He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

Announcement of Isaac's Birth Genesis 18:9–15

⁹Verse 9. They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.” ¹⁰Verse 10. He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. ¹¹Verse 11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹²Verse 12. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” ¹³Verse 13. Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’

¹⁴Verse 14. Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵Verse 15. Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

Judgment of Sodom Declared Genesis 18:16–21

¹⁶Verse 16. The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷Verse 17. Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do, ¹⁸Verse 18. since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? ¹⁹Verse 19. For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

²⁰Verse 20. Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, ²¹Verse 21. I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

Abraham's Intercession Begins Genesis 18:22–26

²²Verse 22. The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. ²³Verse 23. Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴Verse 24. What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Verse 25. Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” ²⁶Verse 26. Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Negotiation for Sodom Genesis 18:27–33

²⁷Verse 27. Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.²⁸Verse 28. What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?”He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”²⁹Verse 29. He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?”He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”³⁰Verse 30. He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?”He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”³¹Verse 31. He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?”He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”³²Verse 32. He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?”He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”³³Verse 33. Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.