Listening A1: Genesis Chapter 1 - Genesis 18

The Lord came to him by the tall trees of Mamre while he sat at the door of his tent in the hot day.

He looked up and saw three men standing near him.

He ran to them from the tent door and bowed down to the ground.

He said, "Sir, if you like me, do not go away from me."

"Let us bring some water, wash your feet, and rest under the tree."

"I will bring some bread so you can feel better, and then you can go on."

"You came to your servant."

They said, "Do as you said."

Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, "Make ready three cups of fine flour, mix it, and make flat bread."

Abraham ran to the herd, took a young good calf, and gave it to the servant; the man was quick to cook it.

He brought butter, milk, and the cooked calf and put it before them; and he stayed by them under the tree, and they ate.

They asked, "Where is Sarah, your wife?"

He answered, "She is in the tent."

He said, "I will come back to you when the time is right; and Sarah your wife will have a son."

Sarah heard this at the tent door behind him.

Abraham and Sarah were old; Sarah could not have children any more.

Sarah laughed inside and said, "After I am old, will I have joy? My husband is old too."

The Lord asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I have a child when I am old?'"

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

"I will come back to you when the time is right, and Sarah will have a son."

Sarah was afraid and said, "I did not laugh."

He said, "No, but you did laugh."

The men left and looked toward Sodom; Abraham walked with them to show them the way.

The Lord said, "Should I hide from Abraham what I will do?"

Abraham will become a big and strong nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed because of him.

I know him so he can tell his children and his family to follow the way of the Lord, to do right things; then the Lord can do for Abraham what he said.

The Lord said, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very bad.

I will go down now and see if they did all the bad things people say; if not, I will know."

The men went toward Sodom; Abraham stayed with the Lord.

Abraham came near and said, "Will you destroy the good people with the bad?"

"Maybe there are fifty good people in the city; will you destroy it and not spare it for them?"

"That should not happen; you should not kill the good with the bad, so the good are like the bad; you are the Judge of all earth and do what is right."

The Lord said, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will not destroy the place for their sake."

Abraham said, "I am just dust and bones, but I have spoken to you: maybe five of the fifty good people are not there; will you destroy the city for the lack of five?"

The Lord said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

Abraham spoke again and said, "Maybe there are only forty good people there."

The Lord said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty."

Abraham said, "Please do not be angry; I will speak again: maybe there are thirty there."

The Lord said, "I will not destroy it if I find thirty there."

Abraham said, "I am speaking to you: maybe there are twenty there."

The Lord said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty."

Abraham said, "Please do not be angry; I will speak one more time: maybe ten will be there."

The Lord said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten."

The Lord left after he finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham went back to his place.