Abraham: The Covenant

And all the men of his house, both borne in his house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Againe the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre, as he sate in his tent doore about the heate of the day.

And he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde.

And he said, Lord, if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, from thy seruant.

Let a litle water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feete, and rest your selues vnder the tree.

And I will bring a morsell of bread, that you may comfort your hearts, afterward ye shall go your wayes: for therefore are ye come to your seruant. And they said, Do euen as thou hast said.

Then Abraham made haste into the tent vnto Sarah, and saide, Make ready at once three measures of fine meale: kneade it, and make cakes vpon the hearth.

And Abraham ranne to the beastes, and tooke a tender and good calfe, and gaue it to the seruant, who hasted to make it ready.

And he tooke butter and milke, and the calfe, which he had prepared, and set before them, and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree, and they did eate.

Then they saide to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he answered, Beholde, she is in the tent.

And he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. and Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him.

(Nowe Abraham and Sarah were old and striken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the maner of women)

Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxed olde, and my lord also, shall I haue lust?

And ye Lord saide vnto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah thus laugh, saying, Shall I certainely beare a childe, which am olde?

(Shall any thing be hard to the Lord? at the time appointed will I returne vnto thee, euen according to the time of life, and Sarah shall haue a sonne.)

But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not: for she was afraide. And he said, It is not so: for thou laughedst.

Afterwarde the men did rise vp from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe,

Seeing that Abraham shalbe in deede a great and a mightie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him?

For I knowe him that he will commande his sonnes and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him.

Then the Lord saide, Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorah is great, and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous,

I will goe downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me: and if not, that I may knowe.

And the men turned thence and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord.

Then Abraham drewe neere, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

If there be fiftie righteous within the citie, wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therein?