File:Messengers from God speak to Abraham.jpg

Summary
Genesis 18:1 - 18:2 - 18:3 - 18:4 - 18:5 - 18:6 - 18:7 - 18:8 - 18:9 - 18:10 - 18:11 - 18:12 - 18:13 - 18:14 - 18:15 - 18:16 - 18:17 - 18:18 - 18:19 - 18:20 - 18:21 - 18:22

18:1. The Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.

18:2. When he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him, and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.

18:3. Then he said, "Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass away from your servant.

18:4. "But I will fetch a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.

'''18:5. "I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant." They said, "Do as you have spoken."'''

18:6. Abraham made haste into the tent to Sarah, and said to her, "Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth."

18:7. He himself ran to the herd, and took from there a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it.

18:8. He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set them before them: but he stood by them under the tree.

'''18:9. When they had eaten, they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He answered, "She is in the tent."'''

'''18:10. He said to him, "I will return and come to you at this time, life accompanying, and Sarah, your wife, shall have a son." Which when Sarah heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.'''

18:11. Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

18:12. She laughed secretly, saying, "After I am grown old, and my husband is an old man***?"

18:13. The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?'

18:14. "Is there anything difficult for God? According to appointment I will return to you at this same time, life accompanying, and Sarah shall have a son."

'''18:15. Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. But the Lord said, "Nay; you did laugh."'''

18:16. When the men rose up from there, they turned their eyes towards Sodom, and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.

18:17. Then the Lord said, "Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

18:18. "seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?

18:19. "For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he has spoken to him."

18:20. Then the Lord said, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.

18:21. "I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that has come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know."

I will go down, etc. . .The Lord here accommodates His discourse to the way of speaking and acting among men; for He knows all things, and needs not go anywhere for information. Note here, that two of the three angels went away immediately for Sodom; while the third, who represented the Lord, remained with Abraham.

18:22. They turned themselves from there, and went their way to Sodom, but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.