HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 387
page 17
23 On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought.
Then he circumcised them, cutting off their
foreskins, just as God had told him. 24 Abraham
was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen.
26 Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, 27 along with all the
other men and boys of the household, whether
they were born there or bought as servants. All
were circumcised with him.
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.
2 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.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop
here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree
while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 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.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said
to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures* of
your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake
some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the
herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his
servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 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.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors
asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 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. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both
very old by this time, and Sarah was long past
the age of having children. 12 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?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why
did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old
woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too
hard for the Lord? I will return about this time
next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying,
“I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
18
18:6 Hebrew 3 seahs, about half a bushel or 22 liters.
G ENESIS 18
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 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.
17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?”
the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly
become a great and mighty nation, and all the
nations of the earth will be blessed through him.
19 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.”
20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard
a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down
to see if their actions are as wicked as I have
heard. If not, I want to know.”
22 The other men turned and headed toward
Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.
23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you
sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?
24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living
there in the city—will you still sweep it away
and not spare it for their sakes? 25 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?”
26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire
city for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have
begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even
though I am but dust and ashes. 28 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.”
29 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.”
30 “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.”
31 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.”
32 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.”