Abraham: The Covenant

All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.

Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”

Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”

Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.”

He said, “I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’

Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”

Then Sarah denied, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

The LORD said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

The LORD said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?