GENESIS Chapter 18
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18:1 The LORD
appeared to Abraham at the sacred trees of Mamre.
As Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of
the day, |
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18:2 he looked up
and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet
them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground, |
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18:3 he said,
"Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to
serve you. |
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18:4 Let me bring
some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree. |
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18:5 I will also
bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You
have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you." They
replied, "Thank you; we accept." |
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18:6 Abraham
hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick, take a sack of your
best flour, and bake some bread." |
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18:7 Then he ran to
the herd and picked out a calf that was tender and fat, and gave it to a
servant, who hurried to get it ready. |
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18:8 He took some
cream, some milk, and the meat, and set the food before the men. There under
the tree he served them himself, and they ate. |
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18:9 Then they
asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" "She is there in the
tent," he answered. |
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18:10 One of them
said, "Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will
have a son." Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening. |
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18:11 Abraham and
Sarah were very old, and Sarah had stopped having her monthly periods. |
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18:12 So Sarah
laughed to herself and said, "Now that I am old and worn out, can I
still enjoy sex? And besides, my husband is old too." |
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18:13 Then the LORD
asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Can I really have a child
when I am so old?' |
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18:14 Is anything
too hard for the LORD? As I said, nine months from now I will return, and
Sarah will have a son." |
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18:15 Because Sarah
was afraid, she denied it. "I didn't laugh," she said. "Yes,
you did," he replied. "You laughed." |
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18:16 Then the men left
and went to a place where they could look down at Sodom, and Abraham went
with them to send them on their way. |
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18:17 And the LORD
said to himself, "I will not hide from Abraham
what I am going to do. |
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18:18 His
descendants will become a great and mighty nation, and through him I will
bless all the nations. |
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18:19 I have chosen
him in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and
to do what is right and just. If they do, I will do everything for him that I
have promised." |
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18:20 Then the LORD
said to Abraham, "There are terrible accusations against Sodom and
Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. |
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18:21 I must go down
to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true."
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18:22 Then the two
men left and went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham. |
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18:23 Abraham
approached the LORD and asked, "Are you really going to destroy the
innocent with the guilty? |
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18:24 If there are
fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy
the whole city? Won't you spare it in order to save the fifty? |
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18:25 Surely you
won't kill the innocent with the guilty. That's impossible! You can't do
that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That
is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly." |
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18:26 The LORD
answered, "If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the
whole city for their sake." |
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18:27 Abraham spoke
again: "Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord.
I am only a man and have no right to say anything. |
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18:28 But perhaps
there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you
destroy the whole city because there are five too few?" The LORD
answered, "I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent
people." |
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18:29 Abraham spoke
again: "Perhaps there will be only forty." He replied, "I will
not destroy it if there are forty." |
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18:30 Abraham said, "Please
don't be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only
thirty?" He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty." |
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18:31 Abraham said,
"Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose
that only twenty are found?" He said, "I will not destroy the city
if I find twenty." |
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18:32 Abraham said,
"Please don't be angry, Lord, and I will speak only once more. What if
only ten are found?" He said, "I will not destroy it if there are
ten." |
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18:33 After he had
finished speaking with Abraham, the LORD went away, and Abraham returned
home. |
CHAPTER ENDS
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