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18:1  Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the ·great trees [L oaks; or terebinths] of Mamre [C an area near Hebron, named after Amorite leader; 14:13, 24]. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent ·during the hottest part [L in the heat] of the day.
18:2  He ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw three men standing near him. When Abraham saw them, he ran from [L the entrance of] his tent to meet them. He bowed facedown on the ground before them
18:3  and said, “·Sir [My lord], if ·you think well of me [L I have found grace in your eyes], please ·stay awhile with me, [L do not pass by] your servant.
18:4  I will bring some water so all of you can wash your feet. You may rest under the tree,
18:5  and I will get some bread for you so you can regain your strength. Then you may ·continue your journey [L pass by].” The three men said, “That is fine. Do as you said.” [C In the ancient Near East, hospitality towards strangers was a very imporant value.]
18:6  Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said to her, “Hurry, ·prepare [L take and knead] ·twenty quarts [L three seahs] of fine flour, and make ·it into loaves of bread [L cakes].”
18:7  Then Abraham ran to his herd and took one of his ·best [L tender and good/choice] calves. He gave it to a servant, who hurried ·to kill it and to prepare it for food [L to prepare it].
18:8  Abraham gave the three men the calf that had been ·cooked [L prepared] and milk curds and milk. While they ate, he stood under the tree near them.
18:9  The men asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” “There, in the tent,” said Abraham.
18:10  Then ·the Lord [L he] said, “I will certainly return to you ·about this time a year from now [or in due time; L about the living time]. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent which was behind him.
18:11  Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since ·Sarah was past the age when women normally have children [L it had stopped being with Sarah after the manner of women; C she had reached menopause],
18:12  she laughed ·to herself [inwardly], “·My husband and I are too old [L I am worn out and my husband is too old] to have ·a baby [L pleasure].”
18:13  Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘I am too old to have a baby’?
18:14  Is anything too hard for the Lord? No! I will return to you ·at the right time a year from now [or in due time; L about the living time], and Sarah will have a son.”
18:15  Sarah was afraid, so she ·lied [denied it] and said, “I didn’t laugh.” But the Lord said, “No. You did laugh.”
18:16  Then the men got up to leave and ·started out [L looked] toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them a short time to send them on their way.
18:17  The Lord said, “Should I ·tell [L hide from] Abraham what I am going to do now?
18:18  ·Abraham’s children [L Abraham] will certainly become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him [12:1–3].
18:19  I have ·chosen [L known] him so he would command his children and his ·descendants [L household] to ·live [L keep] the way the Lord wants them to, ·to live right and be fair [L …by doing righteousness and justice]. Then I, the Lord, will give Abraham what I promised him.”
18:20  Then the Lord said, “·I have heard many complaints [L The outcry is great] against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah [14:2]. ·They are very evil [L Their sin is very great/heavy].
18:21  I will go down and see if they ·are as bad as I have heard [L have done according to the outcry which has come to me]. If not, I will know.”
18:22  So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood there before the Lord.
18:23  Then Abraham approached him and asked, “Do you plan to ·destroy [sweep away] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]?
18:24  What if there are fifty ·good people [righteous] in that city? Will you still ·destroy it [sweep it away]? Surely you will ·save [spare] the ·city [L place] for the fifty ·good people [righteous] living there.
18:25  ·Surely [L It would be a desecration for you!] you will not ·destroy [L kill; slay] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]; then they would be treated the same. You are the judge of all the earth. Won’t you do what is ·right [just]?”
18:26  The Lord said, “If I find fifty ·good people [righteous] in the city of Sodom, I will ·save [spare] the whole ·city [L place] because of them.”
18:27  Then Abraham [L answered and] said, “Though I am only dust and ashes, I have been brave to speak to the Lord.
18:28  What if ·there are only forty-five good people [L five of the fifty righteous are lacking] in the city? Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five ·good people [righteous]?” The Lord said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.”
18:29  Again Abraham said to him, “If you find only forty ·good people [righteous] there, will you destroy the city?” The Lord said, “If I find forty, I will not destroy it.”
18:30  Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty ·good people [righteous] in the city, will you destroy it?” He said, “If I find thirty ·good people [righteous] there, I will not destroy the city.”
18:31  Then Abraham said, “I have been brave to speak to the Lord. But what if there are twenty ·good people [righteous] in the city?” He answered, “If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city.”
18:32  Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?” He said, “If I find ten there, I will not destroy it.”
18:33  When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned ·home [L to his place].