New Living Translation

English Standard Version

A Son Is Promised to Sarah

The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.

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And the Lord appeared to him by the oaksa of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

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He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

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He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth

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“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.

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and said, “O Lord,b if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

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Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.

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

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And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

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while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on — since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

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So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measuresa of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.”

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And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahsc of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.”

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Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.

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And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.

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When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

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Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

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“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

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They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”

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Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.

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The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

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Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children.

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Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.

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So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master — my husband — is also so old?”

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So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”

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Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’

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The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’

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Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

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Is anything too hardd for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”

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Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the LORD said, “No, you did laugh.”

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But Sarah denied it,e saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

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Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

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

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“Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the LORD asked.

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The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

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“For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.

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seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

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I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

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For I have chosenf him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

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So the LORD told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.

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Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

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I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

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I will go down to see whether they have done altogetherg according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

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The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham.

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Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

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Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?

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Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

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Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city — will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes?

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Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

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Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

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Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

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And the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

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And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

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Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.

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Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

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Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
And the LORD said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

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Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

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Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”
And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”

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Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

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“Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak — suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the LORD replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

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Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

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Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue — suppose there are only twenty?”
And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

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He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

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Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”
And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

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Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

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When the LORD had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

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And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Parallel

New Living Translation

English Standard Version

Genesis 18

Genesis 18