18 S Genesis 17:23
23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all t hose born in his
household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and cir
cumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when
he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his
son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in
Abraham’s household, including t hose born in his household or bought from
a foreigner, was circumcised with him.
The Three Visitors
18
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he
was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham
looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried
from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, a do not pass your
servant by. 4 Let a little water be b
rought, and then you may all wash your feet
and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be re
freshed and then go on your way — now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get t hree
seahs b of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a
servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and
the calf that had been prepared, and set t hese before them. While they ate, he
stood near them under a tree.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they a
sked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next
year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of
childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn
out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I
really have a c hild, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I
will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
Abraham Pleads for Sodom
16 When the men got up to l eave, they l ooked down toward Sodom, and
Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord
said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am a
bout to do? 18 Abraham will surely
become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on e
arth will be blessed
through him. c 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and
his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and
just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry a
gainst Sodom and Gomorrah is so g
reat
and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done
is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained
standing before the Lord. d 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will
you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righ
teous people in the city? Will you really s weep it away and not s pare e the place
for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such
a thing — to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the
wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
a 3 Or
eyes, Lord b 6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
will use his name in blessings (see 48:20) d 22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew
scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham e 24 Or forgive; also
in verse 26
c 18 Or