Genesis 18 - Expanded Bible (EXB)

The Three Visitors

18 Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the ·great trees [L oaks; or terebinths] of Mamre [C an area near Hebron, named after Amorite leader; 14:13, 24]. Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent ·during the hottest part [L in the heat] of the day. 2 He ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw three men standing near him. When Abraham saw them, he ran from [L the entrance of] his tent to meet them. He bowed facedown on the ground before them 3 and said, “·Sir [My lord], if ·you think well of me [L I have found grace in your eyes], please ·stay awhile with me, [L do not pass by] your servant. 4 I will bring some water so all of you can wash your feet. You may rest under the tree, 5 and I will get some bread for you so you can regain your strength. Then you may ·continue your journey [L pass by].”

The three men said, “That is fine. Do as you said.” [C In the ancient Near East, hospitality towards strangers was a very imporant value.]

6 Abraham hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said to her, “Hurry, ·prepare [L take and knead] ·twenty quarts [L three seahs] of fine flour, and make ·it into loaves of bread [L cakes].” 7 Then Abraham ran to his herd and took one of his ·best [L tender and good/choice] calves. He gave it to a servant, who hurried ·to kill it and to prepare it for food [L to prepare it]. 8 Abraham gave the three men the calf that had been ·cooked [L prepared] and milk curds and milk. While they ate, he stood under the tree near them.

9 The men asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?”

“There, in the tent,” said Abraham.

10 Then ·the Lord [L he] said, “I will certainly return to you ·about this time a year from now [or in due time; L about the living time]. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since ·Sarah was past the age when women normally have children [L it had stopped being with Sarah after the manner of women; C she had reached menopause], 12 she laughed ·to herself [inwardly], “·My husband and I are too old [L I am worn out and my husband is too old] to have ·a baby [L pleasure].”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘I am too old to have a baby’? 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? No! I will return to you ·at the right time a year from now [or in due time; L about the living time], and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she ·lied [denied it] and said, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No. You did laugh.”

16 Then the men got up to leave and ·started out [L looked] toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them a short time to send them on their way.

Abraham’s Bargain with God

17 The Lord said, “Should I ·tell [L hide from] Abraham what I am going to do now? 18 ·Abraham’s children [L Abraham] will certainly become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him [12:1–3]. 19 I have ·chosen [L known] him so he would command his children and his ·descendants [L household] to ·live [L keep] the way the Lord wants them to, ·to live right and be fair [L …by doing righteousness and justice]. Then I, the Lord, will give Abraham what I promised him.”

20 Then the Lord said, “·I have heard many complaints [L The outcry is great] against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah [14:2]. ·They are very evil [L Their sin is very great/heavy]. 21 I will go down and see if they ·are as bad as I have heard [L have done according to the outcry which has come to me]. If not, I will know.”

22 So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood there before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and asked, “Do you plan to ·destroy [sweep away] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]? 24 What if there are fifty ·good people [righteous] in that city? Will you still ·destroy it [sweep it away]? Surely you will ·save [spare] the ·city [L place] for the fifty ·good people [righteous] living there. 25 ·Surely [L It would be a desecration for you!] you will not ·destroy [L kill; slay] the ·good people [righteous] along with the ·evil ones [wicked]; then they would be treated the same. You are the judge of all the earth. Won’t you do what is ·right [just]?”

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty ·good people [righteous] in the city of Sodom, I will ·save [spare] the whole ·city [L place] because of them.”

27 Then Abraham [L answered and] said, “Though I am only dust and ashes, I have been brave to speak to the Lord. 28 What if ·there are only forty-five good people [L five of the fifty righteous are lacking] in the city? Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five ·good people [righteous]?”

The Lord said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.”

29 Again Abraham said to him, “If you find only forty ·good people [righteous] there, will you destroy the city?”

The Lord said, “If I find forty, I will not destroy it.”

30 Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty ·good people [righteous] in the city, will you destroy it?”

He said, “If I find thirty ·good people [righteous] there, I will not destroy the city.”

31 Then Abraham said, “I have been brave to speak to the Lord. But what if there are twenty ·good people [righteous] in the city?”

He answered, “If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city.”

32 Then Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?”

He said, “If I find ten there, I will not destroy it.”

33 When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned ·home [L to his place].

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Genesis 18 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

18 And Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day; 2 and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself tow...
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Genesis 18 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

18 Forsooth in the valley of Mamre the Lord appeared to Abraham, (as he was) sitting in the door of his tabernacle, in that heat of the day. (And sometime later, by the terebinths of Mamre, the Lord appeared to Abraham, when he was sitting by the door of his tent, in the heat of the day.) 2 And when...
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Genesis 18 - World English Bible (WEB)

18 Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My lord, if now I hav...
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Genesis 18 - The Voice (VOICE)

18 The Eternal One appeared once again to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was resting at the entrance to his tent in the middle of a hot afternoon. 2 Abraham glanced up and saw there were three men standing nearby. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the...
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Genesis 18 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Parashat VayeraThe Promise of a Son18 Then Adonai appeared to him at Mamre’s large trees while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes to see, suddenly, three men were standing right by him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of hi...
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Genesis 18 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah18 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks[a] of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed ...
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Genesis 18 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah18 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks[a] of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed ...
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Genesis 18 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah18 The Lord appeared to Abraham[a] by the oaks[b] of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground...
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Genesis 18 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah18 The Lord appeared to Abraham[a] by the oaks[b] of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.(A)2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground...
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Genesis 18 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Son Is Promised to Sarah18 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 ...
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Genesis 18 - New Life Version (NLV)

Abraham Is Promised a Son18 The Lord showed Himself to Abraham by the oak trees of Mamre, as he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them. He put his face to the ground 3 and...
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Genesis 18 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Son of Promise(A)18 Then the Lord appeared to him by [a]the (B)terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 (C)So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; (D)and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them,...
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Genesis 18 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The three visitors18 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to th...
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Genesis 18 - New International Version (NIV)

The Three Visitors18 The Lord appeared to Abraham(A) near the great trees of Mamre(B) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent(C) in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up(D) and saw three men(E) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and b...
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Genesis 18 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Genesis 18 - New English Translation (NET)

Three Special Visitors18 The Lord appeared to Abraham[a] by the oaks[b] of Mamre while[c] he was sitting at the entrance[d] to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 2 Abraham[e] looked up[f] and saw[g] three men standing across from[h] him. When he saw them[i] he ran from the entrance of the...
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