Angels are entertained by Abraham. They foretell the birth of Isaac.
Abraham's prayer for the men of Sodom.
18:1. And 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. And 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. And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not
away from thy servant.
18:4. But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest
ye under the tree.
18:5. And 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. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
18:6. Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make
haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the
hearth.
18:7. And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence 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 before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
18:9. And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife?
He answered: Lo she is in the tent.
18:10. And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time,
life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara
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 Sara after the manner of women.
18:12. And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my
lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
18:13. And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall
I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?
18:14. Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will
return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have
a son.
18:15. Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the
Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.
18:16. And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes
towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
18:17. And 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
hath spoken unto him.
18:20. And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied,
and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
18:21. I will go down and see whether they have done according to the
cry that is 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 amongst men; for he knoweth all things, and
needeth not to go anywhere for information. Note here, that two of the
three angels went away immediately for Sodom; whilst the third, who
represented the Lord, remained with Abraham.
18:22. And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to
Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
18:23. And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the
wicked?
18:24. If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal?
and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if
they be therein?
18:25. Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with
the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is
not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this
judgment.
18:26. And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within
the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
18:27. And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will
speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
18:28. What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for
five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy
it, if I find five and forty.
18:29. And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt
thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
18:30. Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if
thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find
thirty there.
18:31. Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord:
What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the
sake of twenty.
18:32. I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once
more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy
it for the sake of ten.
18:33. And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and
Abraham returned to his place.