1 The Glory of the Lord was revealed to him at the Vision of Mamre; he was suffering from the pain of circumcision, seated at the door of the tent at the strength of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three angels in the form of men were standing before him. They had been sent for three things. For it is not possible for a ministering angel to be sent for more than one thing. One came to announce to him that Sarah would bear a male child; one came to rescue Lot; and one came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. When he saw them he ran from the door of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. 3 He said, “I beseech you by the mercies from before you, O Lord, if now I have found favor before you, let not the Glory of your Shekinah go up from your servant until I have received these travelers.” 4 Abraham again said to these men, “Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree.” 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread. Refresh your hearts and give thanks to the Name of the Memra of the Lord, and after that you may go on. Because it was for this reason that you chanced to come at mealtime, and to pass by your servant, so that you might refresh yourselves.” They said, “You have spoken well. Do according to your word.” 6 Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick, three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the cattleyard and took a calf, tender and fat, and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare dishes. 8 He took thick cream and milk, as well as the calf from which the servant had prepared dishes, and set them before them according to the manner and custom of human beings. He ministered before them as they sat under the tree, and it seemed to him that they were eating. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, she is in the tent.” 10 One of them said, “I will surely return to you in the coming year; and you will still be alive, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” Sarah was listening at the door of the tent, and Ishmael was standing behind her listening to what the angel said. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old; they had advanced in age, and Sarah had ceased having the periods of impurity of women. 12 Sarah wondered in her heart, saying, “After I have grown old shall I become pregnant—and my master Abraham so old?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is it possible for anything to be hidden from before the Lord? At the time of the feast I shall return to you, at this time, and you shall still be alive, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 Sarah denied it saying, “I did not wonder,” for she was afraid. The angel said, “Do not be afraid; but in truth you did laugh.” 16 The angels who had the form of men arose from there; the one who had brought good news to Sarah went up to the heavens on high, and two of them looked towards Sodom. Abraham went with them to accompany them. 17 The Lord said in his Memra, “I cannot hide from Abraham what I am about to do. By right I should not act until I have informed him. 18 Abraham is destined to become a great and mighty nation, and on account of him, by his merits all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 19 For his piety is manifest before me, so that he will command his children and the members of his household after him to observe ways that are right before the Lord, doing what is just and right, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham the good things he has promised him.” 20 The Lord said to the ministering angels, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah—because they oppress the poor and decree that whoever gives a morsel of bread to the needy shall be burned by fire—is indeed great,⁠a and their sin has indeed increased greatly.⁠b 21 I will now be revealed, and I will see whether they have really done according to the complaint of the maiden Peletith which has come before me. If so, they deserve total destruction, but if they do penance, shall they not be righteous before me as if I did not know, and I will not take revenge. 22 The two angels who were like men turned from there and went to Sodom. Abraham was still beseeching mercy for Lot, and ministering in prayer before the Lord. 23 Abraham prayed and said, “Shall your anger wipe out the innocent with the guilty? 24 What if there are fifty innocent people within the city who pray before you, ten for each city of the five cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar? Will your anger wipe them out and not forgive the place for the sake of the merits of the fifty innocent people who are in it? 25 It would be a profanation for you to do such a thing, to kill the innocent with the guilty, so that the innocent would be as the guilty; that would be a profanation for you. Is it possible that he who judges the whole earth should not do justice?” 26 And the Lord said, “If in Sodom I find fifty innocent people within the city who pray before me, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham replied and said, “I beseech, by your mercy! Behold, I have begun to speak before the Lord, I who am like dust and ashes. 28 What if five of the fifty innocent are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city because of five who are lacking in Zoar?” He said, “I will not destroy if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke again before him and said, “What if forty are found there, ten for each of the four cities? As for Zoar, whose guilt is light, forgive it for the sake of your mercy.” He said, “I will not make an end, for the sake of the merits of forty.” 30 He said, “Let not the anger of the Master of all the worlds, the Lord, be enkindled, and I will speak. What if thirty who pray are found there, ten for each of the three cities? As for Zeboiim and Zoar, forgive them for the sake of your mercy.” He said, “I will not make an end if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “I beseech, by your mercy! Behold, I have begun to speak before the Master of all the worlds, the Lord. What if twenty who pray are found, ten for each of the two cities? As for the other three, forgive them for the sake of your mercy.” And he said, “I will not destroy, for the sake of the merits of twenty.” 32 He said, “I beseech by the mercy before you, let not the anger of the Master of all the worlds, the Lord, be enkindled, and I will speak this last time. What if ten are found there, and they and I beseech mercy for the whole place and you forgive them?” And he said, “I will not destroy, for the sake of the merits of ten.” 33 And the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord went up when he finished speaking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.