And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day.

For I have chosen him, that he will command his children and his household after him that they will keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham that which he said to him."

Then Yahweh said, "Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah [is] great and because their sin [is] very {serious},

I will go down and I will see. Have they done altogether according to its cry of distress [which] has come to me? If not, I will know."

And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. And Abraham [was] still standing before Yahweh.

And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What if ten are found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the ten."

And {once again he spoke} to him and said, "What if forty are found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] on account of the forty."

And he said, "Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the twenty."

Then Abraham answered and said, "Look, please, I was bold to speak to my Lord, but I [am] dust and ashes.

If perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city, will you also sweep [them] away and not forgive the place on account of the fifty righteous in her midst?

Perhaps the fifty righteous are lacking five--will you destroy the whole city on account of the five?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] if I find forty-five there."

Then Yahweh left, as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill [the] righteous with [the] wicked, that the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?"

And Yahweh said, "If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, in the midst of the city, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake."

And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near him. And he saw [them] and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground.

Then the men set out from there, and they looked down upon Sodom. And Abraham went with them {to send them on their way}.

And he said, "I will certainly return to you {in the spring}, and look, Sarah your wife [will have] a son." Now Sarah [was] listening at the doorway of the tent, and which [was] behind him.

Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him.

Then Yahweh said, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I [am going] to do?

Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you {in the spring} and Sarah [shall have] a son."

So Sarah laughed to herself saying, "After I am worn out and my husband is old, shall [this] pleasure be to me?"

And Abraham drew near [to Yahweh] and said, "Will you also sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

And they said to him, "Where [is] Sarah your wife?" And he said, "Here, in the tent."

Then Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and he said, "Quickly--make three seahs of fine flour for kneading and make bread cakes!"

And he said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant.

Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest under the tree.

Then he took curds and milk, and the calf which he prepared, and set [it] before them. And he was standing by them under the tree while they ate.

Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old, {advanced in age}; {the way of women} had ceased to be for Sarah.

And Abraham ran to the cattle and took a {calf}, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he made haste to prepare it.

Then Yahweh said to Abraham, "What [is] this [that] Sarah laughed, saying, 'Is it indeed true [that] I will bear a child, now [that] I have grown old?'

And let me bring a piece of bread, then refresh {yourselves}. Afterward you can pass on, {once} you have passed by with your servant." Then they said, "Do so as you have said."

But Sarah denied [it], saying, "I did not laugh," because she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if thirty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] if I find thirty there."