The Christian Standard Bible aims to draw readers into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. By translating Scripture into the clearest possible modern English, the CSB allows readers to experience God’s Word at its fullest. Developed by 100 scholars from 17 denominations, the Christian Standard Bible faithfully and accurately captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising readability. The CSB was created using Optimal Equivalence, a translation philosophy that balances linguistic precision to the original languages and readability in contemporary English. In the many places throughout Scripture where a word-for- word rendering is clearly understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word- for-word rendering might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used. This process assures that both the words and thoughts contained in the original text are conveyed as accurately as possible for today’s readers. The CSB provides a highly accurate text for sermon preparation and serious study, translated from the biblical languages by scholars who love God’s Word. Yet it doesn’t compromise readability and clarity for those who may be less familiar with the traditional (and sometimes difficult) vocabulary retained in some translations. Research shows the CSB is both highly literal to the original languages and highly readable, achieving an optimal balance of the two. Pastors and laypeople can read and share the Christian Standard Bible with confidence, knowing truth of God’s Word will be communicated effectively. For a more information, visit CSBible.com

<div class="version vid1713 iso6393eng" data-vid="1713" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="GEN.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">Abraham&#8217;s Three Visitors</div><div class="m"> 1The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre&#160; # 18:1 Gn 13:18; 14:13; 23:17&#8211;19 while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him.&#160; # 18:2 Gn 18:16,22; 19:1; 32:24; Jos 5:13; Jdg 13:6&#8211;11; Heb 13:2 When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, 3and said, &#8220;My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant. 4Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant&#8217;s way. Later, you can continue on.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;do as you have said.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, &#8220;Quick! Knead three measures&#160; # 18:6 Lit three seahs; about 21 quarts of fine flour and make bread.&#8221;&#160; # 18:6 A round, thin, unleavened bread 7Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. 8Then Abraham took curds&#160; # 18:8 Or butter and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served&#160; # 18:8 Lit was standing by them as they ate under the tree.</div><div class="s1">Sarah Laughs</div><div class="m"> 9&#8220;Where is your wife Sarah?&#160;&#8221; they asked him.</div><div class="p">&#8220;There, in the tent,&#8221; he answered.</div><div class="p"> 10The Lord said, &#8220;I will certainly come back to you in about a year&#8217;s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!&#160;&#8221;&#160; # 18:10 Gn 17:10; 21:1; Rm 9:9 Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.</div><div class="p"> 11Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years.&#160; # 18:11 Lit days Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.&#160; # 18:11 Gn 17:17; Rm 4:19; Heb 11:11&#8211;12 12So she laughed to herself: &#8220;After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?&#160;&#8221;&#160; # 18:12 Gn 17:17; Lk 1:18; 1Pt 3:6</div><div class="p"> 13But the Lord asked Abraham, &#8220;Why did Sarah laugh, saying, &#8216;Can I really have a baby when I&#8217;m old?&#160;&#8217; 14Is anything impossible for the Lord?&#160; # 18:14 Jb 34:10; Jr 32:17,27; Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27; Lk 1:37; 18:27; Heb 6:18 At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Sarah denied it. &#8220;I did not laugh,&#8221; she said, because she was afraid.</div><div class="p">But he replied, &#8220;No, you did laugh.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Abraham&#8217;s Plea for Sodom</div><div class="m"> 16The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off. 17Then the Lord said, &#8220;Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham?&#160; # 18:17 Am 3:7 18Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.&#160; # 18:18 Gn 12:3; 26:4; Gl 3:8 19For I have chosen&#160; # 18:19 Lit known him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.&#8221; 20Then the Lord said, &#8220;The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. 21I will go down&#160; # 18:21 Gn 11:5; Ex 3:8; Ps 14:2 to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22The men turned from there and went toward Sodom&#160; # 18:22 Gn 19:1 while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.&#160; # 18:22 Alt Hb tradition reads while the Lord remained standing before Abraham 23Abraham stepped forward and said, &#8220;Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?&#160; # 18:23 Ex 23:7; Nm 16:22; 2Sm 24:17; Ps 11:4&#8211;7 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it? 25You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won&#8217;t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?&#160;&#8221;&#160; # 18:25 Dt 1:16&#8211;17; 32:4; Jb 8:3,20; Ps 58:11; 94:2; Is 3:10&#8211;11; Rm 3:5&#8211;6</div><div class="p"> 26The Lord said, &#8220;If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.&#8221;&#160; # 18:26 Jr 5:1</div><div class="p"> 27Then Abraham answered, &#8220;Since I have ventured to speak to my lord&#160;#&#8212;&#160;#even though I am dust and ashes&#160;#&#8212;&#160;# 28suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?&#160;&#8221;</div><div class="p">He replied, &#8220;I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29Then he spoke to him again, &#8220;Suppose forty are found there?&#160;&#8221;</div><div class="p">He answered, &#8220;I will not do it on account of forty.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30Then he said, &#8220;Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?&#160;&#8221;</div><div class="p">He answered, &#8220;I will not do it if I find thirty there.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31Then he said, &#8220;Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there?&#160;&#8221;</div><div class="p">He replied, &#8220;I will not destroy it on account of twenty.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Then he said, &#8220;Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time.&#160; # 18:32 Jdg 6:39 Suppose ten are found there?&#160;&#8221;</div><div class="p">He answered, &#8220;I will not destroy it on account of ten.&#8221; 33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.</div>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre  while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him.  When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”
“Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Knead three measures  of fine flour and make bread.”  Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. Then Abraham took curds  and milk, as well as the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served  them as they ate under the tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah? ” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he answered.
The LORD said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son! ”  Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years.  Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.  So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight? ” 
But the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old? ’ Is anything impossible for the LORD?  At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”
Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.
But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”

The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off. Then the LORD said, “Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham?  Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.  For I have chosen  him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. This is how the LORD will fulfill to Abraham what he promised him.” Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious. I will go down  to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.”
The men turned from there and went toward Sodom  while Abraham remained standing before the LORD.  Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?  What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away instead of sparing the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it? You could not possibly do such a thing: to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. You could not possibly do that! Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just? ” 
The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 
Then Abraham answered, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord #— #even though I am dust and ashes #— # suppose the fifty righteous lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? ”
He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
Then he spoke to him again, “Suppose forty are found there? ”
He answered, “I will not do it on account of forty.”
Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose thirty are found there? ”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there? ”
He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of twenty.”
Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak one more time.  Suppose ten are found there? ”
He answered, “I will not destroy it on account of ten.” When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Phulaphula i Genesis 18