7. Then he ran to the herd. He picked out a choice, tender calf. He gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8. Then he brought some butter and milk and the calf that had been prepared. He served them to the three men. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
9. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "Over there, in the tent," he said.
10. Then the Lord said, "You can be sure that I will return to you about this time next year. Your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent behind him.
11. Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Sarah was too old to have a baby.
12. So she laughed to herself. She thought, "I'm worn out, and my husband is old. Can I really know the joy of having a baby?"
13. Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, 'Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?'
14. Is anything too hard for me? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. Sarah will have a son."
15. Sarah was afraid. So she lied and said, "I didn't laugh." But the Lord said, "Yes, you did."
16. The men got up to leave. They looked down toward Sodom. Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.
17. Then the Lord said, "Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
18. He will certainly become a great and powerful nation. All nations on earth will be blessed because of him.
19. "I have chosen him. He must direct his children. He must see that the members of his family after him live the way I want them to. So he must direct them to do what is right and fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham what I have promised him."
20. The Lord said, "The cries against Sodom and Gomorrah are very great. Their sin is so bad
21. that I will go down and see for myself. I want to see if what they have done is as bad as the cries that have reached me. If it is not, then I will know."
22. The men turned away. They went toward Sodom. But Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord.
23. Then Abraham came up to him. He said, "Will you sweep away godly people along with those who are evil?
24. What if there are 50 godly people in the city? Will you really sweep it away? Won't you spare the place because of the 50 godly people in it?