Chapter 18

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

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  And he lifted 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,  

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

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

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

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

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

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  And 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 ate.  

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

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  And he said, I will certainly return to 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.  

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

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

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  And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, who am old?  

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

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

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

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

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

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  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will 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.  

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

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

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

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

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

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  That 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?  

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

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  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I, who am dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the Lord.  

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  Peradventure there will 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.  

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  And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Peradventure there will be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.  

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

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

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

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

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