UST GEN Chapter 18

Yahweh Promises to Abraham and Sarah That They Will Have a Son

18:1-15

18 Then one day Yahweh appeared again to Abraham at the oak trees on Mamre’s land, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw that there were three men standing a short distance away. As soon as he saw them, he jumped up and hurried to them to greet them. Then he bowed before them with his face to the ground to show respect, 3 and he said to them, “Sirs, if you consider me worthy to be your host, please do not leave here without letting me serve you as my guests. 4 Please let me bring you some water, so that you all can wash the dust off your feet, and then rest under the shade of this tree. 5 Since you are here with me, let me also bring some food for you to eat. That way you can regain your strength before you continue on your way.” They replied to him, “Okay, do what you have proposed.”

6 So Abraham quickly went to Sarah inside their tent and told her, “Quickly get three batches of our best flour and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran outside to his herd of cattle and chose one of his best calves that would be good to eat. Then he took it to one of his servants, and the servant quickly butchered it and cooked it. 8 Then Abraham brought some yogurt and milk and the meat that his servant had prepared, and he put it all before his three guests to eat. Then he stood nearby them where they were sitting under the tree and served them while they ate.

9 Then one of the men asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” Abraham answered, “She is there in the tent.” 10 Then the man said to Abraham, “I will definitely come back here to visit you at this time next year. When I do, your wife Sarah will have a baby son.” Now Sarah was listening inside the entrance of the tent, which was behind the man. 11 She and Abraham were already very old, so that Sarah was far past the age that she could have children. 12 So she laughed to herself in disbelief and said to herself, “It doesn’t seem possible that I could experience the pleasure of having a child now that I am too old to conceive. Besides that, my husband is also very old!” 13 But Yahweh asked Abraham, “Sarah should not have laughed and said to herself that she is too old to have a child! 14 Nothing is too difficult for Yahweh to do! At the time that I have set, I will return to you here. Yes, I will come at this time next year, and Sarah will already have a son.” 15 When Sarah heard that, she was afraid, so she lied to him and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh replied, “That is not true. You did laugh.”

Abraham Tries to Save the People of Sodom from Being Destroyed by Yahweh

18:16-33

16 When they had finished eating, the three men got up to leave and started walking down toward the city of Sodom. Abraham escorted them for a while to see them on their way. 17 Then Yahweh thought to himself, “Should I keep secret from Abraham what I am about to do to the city of Sodom? 18 After all, he and his descendants will definitely become a great and powerful people group, and through them I will bless all the people groups in the world. 19 In fact, I have chosen him so that he will train his children and his descendants, so that they will live the way I want them to live and do what is right and treat people justly. Therefore I will do for him everything I have promised him that I will do.”

20 So Yahweh said to Abraham, “I have heard that the people of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have become very evil, and they are sinning very terribly. 21 I must go down to those cities now to determine whether or not they are guilty of everything that I have heard against them. If they are not guilty, then I will know it and I will not punish them.”

22 Then the other two men left and continued walking toward the city of Sodom, while Abraham remained there with Yahweh. 23 Then Abraham stepped closer to Yahweh and asked him, “Certainly you will not destroy righteous people along with wicked people, will you? 24 What will you do if there are fifty righteous people living in the city of Sodom? Will you really still destroy all the people in the city rather than let them all live because of the fifty righteous people who live there? 25 Certainly you would never do such a thing as kill righteous people together with evil people, so that you are treating them both the same way! Certainly you would never do such a thing! As the Judge over everyone on the earth, certainly you will treat people justly.” 26 Yahweh replied to him, “If there are fifty righteous people living in the city of Sodom, then I will spare the whole city and everyone who lives there because of them.”

27 Then Abraham spoke up again and asked Yahweh, “My Lord, please excuse me for speaking to you so boldly, even though I am as insignificant as dirt and ashes compared to you. 28 But what will you do if there are only forty-five righteous people in the city instead of fifty? Will you destroy the whole city and everyone in it if there are five people too few who are righteous?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city if there are forty-five righteous people living there.”

29 Then Abraham spoke again to Yahweh and asked, “What will you do if there are only forty righteous people in the city? Will you destroy it then?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city, in order to save the forty righteous people.”

30 Then Abraham pleaded with him, “My Lord, please do not be angry with me, but let me ask you another question: What will you do if there are only thirty righteous people living there?” He replied, “I will not destroy the city if there are thirty righteous people there.”

31 Then Abraham asked him, “My Lord, please excuse me for speaking to you so boldly. What will you do if there are only twenty righteous people living in the city?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy the city, in order to save the twenty righteous people.”

32 Then Abraham said, “My Lord, please do not be angry with me, but let me ask you just one more thing: What will you do if there are only ten righteous people in the city?” Yahweh answered him, “I will not destroy the city, in order to save the ten righteous people.” 33 When Yahweh had finished talking with Abraham, he left him, and Abraham returned home.