18 Then one day Yahweh appeared again to Avraham at the oak trees on Mamre’s land, while Avraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 Avraham looked up and was surprised to see three men standing a short distance away. He ran from the tent opening to meet them and bowed respectfully,[ref] 3 and said, “My masters, if I’ve found favour in your eyes, please don’t just carry on past your slave. 4 Let me get some water so that you can wash your feet and rest here under this tree. 5 I’ll go and get some food so that you can refresh yourselves before you leave, since you’ve come to your slave.”

“Alright, do as you have said,” they answered.

6 So Avraham hurried into the tent and told Sarah, “Quickly, grind three measures of fine flour and knead it and make some bread.” 7 He ran to the herd and selected a tender and choice calf and took it to a slave who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then he took yogurt and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set the meal down in front of the visitors, standing there under the tree by them while they ate.

9 Then they asked him, “Where’s your wife Sarah?”

“See, over there in the tent,” he replied.

10 “I’ll definitely return to you here in the spring next year,” the visitor continued. “You see, your wife Sarah will have a son then.”[ref]

Now Sarah was at the opening of the tent listening, but the visitor was facing the other direction. 11 Avraham and Sarah were pretty old at this stage and Sarah had passed the age of being able to have children, 12 so when she heard that, she laughed to herself and said, “Now that my body’s worn out, will I have the pleasure of a child? Even my master’s too old.”[ref]

13 Then Yahweh spoke to Avraham, “Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying, ‘Will I really have a child when I’m old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for Yahweh?[ref] I’ll return here to you next year in the spring and Sarah will have a son.”

15 But Sarah was afraid and denied it by saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

“No, because you did laugh,” he said.