Bible Gateway passage: Genesis 18:1-15 - New International Version (2024)

The Three Visitors

18The 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. ²Abraham 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 bowed low to the ground.^(F)

³He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(G) my lord,^[a] do not pass your servant^(H) by. ⁴Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet^(I) and rest under this tree. ⁵Let me get you something to eat,^(J) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

⁶So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs^[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”^(K)

⁷Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf^(L) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. ⁸He then brought some curds^(M) and milk^(N) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.^(O) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

⁹“Where is your wife Sarah?”^(P) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,^(Q)” he said.

¹⁰Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,^(R) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”^(S)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(T) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(U) 12}So Sarah laughed^(V) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(W) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(X) 14}Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(Y) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(Z) and Sarah will have a son.”^(AA)

¹⁵Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Footnotes

1. Genesis 18:3 Or eyes, Lord
2. Genesis 18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

Cross references

1. Genesis 18:1 : S Ge 12:7; Ac 7:2
2. Genesis 18:1 : S Ge 13:18
3. Genesis 18:1 : Ge 19:1; 23:10, 18; 34:20, 24; Ru 4:1; Ps 69:12; Heb 11:9
4. Genesis 18:2 : Ge 24:63
5. Genesis 18:2 : ver 16, 22; Ge 19:1, 10; 32:24; Jos 5:13; Jdg 13:6-11; Hos 12:3-4; Heb 13:2
6. Genesis 18:2 : S Ge 17:3; S 43:28
7. Genesis 18:3 : Ge 19:19; 39:4; Ru 2:2, 10, 13; 1Sa 1:18; Est 2:15
8. Genesis 18:3 : Ge 32:4, 18, 20; 33:5
9. Genesis 18:4 : Ge 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Jdg 19:21; 2Sa 11:8; S Lk 7:44
10. Genesis 18:5 : Jdg 13:15; 19:5
11. Genesis 18:6 : Ge 19:3; 2Sa 13:8
12. Genesis 18:7 : 1Sa 28:24; Lk 15:23
13. Genesis 18:8 : Isa 7:15, 22
14. Genesis 18:8 : Jdg 4:19; 5:25
15. Genesis 18:8 : Jdg 6:19
16. Genesis 18:9 : S Ge 3:9
17. Genesis 18:9 : Ge 24:67; Heb 11:9
18. Genesis 18:10 : S Ge 17:21; 21:2; 2Ki 4:16
19. Genesis 18:10 : S Ge 17:6; Ro 9:9*
20. Genesis 18:11 : S Ge 17:17; Lk 1:18
21. Genesis 18:11 : S Ge 11:30; Ro 4:19; Heb 11:11-12
22. Genesis 18:12 : S Ge 17:17
23. Genesis 18:12 : 1Pe 3:6
24. Genesis 18:13 : S Ge 17:17
25. Genesis 18:14 : Job 42:2; Isa 40:29; 50:2; 51:9; Jer 32:17, 27; S Mt 19:26; Ro 4:21
26. Genesis 18:14 : S ver 10
27. Genesis 18:14 : S Ge 17:19; Ro 9:9*; Gal 4:23