The Lantern

Genesis18

And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, look, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, please, from your servant:

Let a little water, please, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort you your hearts; after that you shall pass on: for therefore have you come to your servant. And they said, So do, as you have said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hurried to dress it.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Look, in the tent.

And he said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life; and, look, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in years; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am grew old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but you did laugh.

And the men rose up from there, 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 do;

Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.

And 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 they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come to me; and if not, I will know.

And the men turned their faces from there, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Perhaps there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it?

That are far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that are far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

And Abraham answered and said, Look now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.

And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

And he said to him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

And he said, Look now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord: Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.