The Holy Ivri Heritage Bible

1Yahuah appeared to Avraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He lifted up his eyes and saw three men standing before him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground. 3He said: “Adonai, if I have found favor in Your eyes, do not pass by Your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5I will bring a morsel of lechem [bread], that you may refresh your hearts; after that you may pass on, since you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do so, as you have said.” 6Avraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said: “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7Avraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a servant, and he hastened to prepare it. 8He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9They said to him: “Where is Sarah your wife?” He said: “Behold, in the tent.” 10One said: “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11Now Avraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah had ceased to have the way of women. 12Sarah laughed within herself, saying: “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old also?” 13Yahuah said to Avraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14Is anything too hard for Yahuah? At the Moed [appointed time] I will return to you, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15Sarah denied, saying: “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. But He said: “No, you did laugh.” 16The men rose up from there and looked toward Sedom, and Avraham went with them to send them on their way. 17Yahuah said: “Shall I hide from Avraham what I am about to do? 18Since Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. 19For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahuah, to do tzadeqah [righteousness] and mishpat [justice], so that Yahuah may bring upon Avraham what He has spoken.” 20Yahuah said: “Because the outcry of Sedom and Amorah is great, and their chatat [sin] is very grievous, 21I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” 22The men turned from there and went toward Sedom, but Avraham still stood before Yahuah. 23Avraham drew near and said: “Will You indeed sweep away tzaddik [righteous] with the rasha [wicked]?” 24Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You then sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing — to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26Yahuah said: “If I find fifty righteous within Sedom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27Avraham answered: “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai, though I am but dust and ashes. 28Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking — will You destroy the whole city for lack of five?” He said: “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29He spoke again: “Suppose forty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.” 30He said: “Let not Adonai be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it if I find thirty there.” 31He said: “Behold, I have taken it upon myself to speak to Adonai. Suppose twenty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” 32He said: “Let not Adonai be angry, and I will speak but this once. Suppose ten are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33Yahuah departed when He had finished speaking with Avraham, and Avraham returned to his place.