[9. Abraham Delivers Lot]
Kings from the East came and made war against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, were victorious over them, and carried off the people and their goods. They also carried off Lot and all his goods. When Abraham heard that his brother’s son was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, to the number of 318, pursued the enemy and overtook them; and he brought back all the goods, and set Lot and the people free. When Abraham returned, Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, went out to him with bread and wine, and blessed him.—And the king of Sodom came and said unto Abraham: Take the goods to thyself and give me the people. But Abraham answered: I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abraham rich. (Gen. 14.)
[10. Abraham is Strong in Faith]
The Lord appeared again unto Abraham and promised him that his seed should become as numerous as the stars of the heavens. Abraham was old, and Sarah was old, and they had no children; but Abraham believed the Lord’s promise, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.
Abraham sat in the door of his tent in the heat of the day. As he lifted up his eyes, lo, three men stood over against him. Abraham ran to meet them, bowed himself to the earth and said: My lord, pass not by thy servant: let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree and let me fetch a morsel of bread to strengthen you; after that you shall pass on. And they said: So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham ran unto the herd and had a good calf dressed and prepared, and Sarah took fine meal and baked cakes. And he took butter and milk and set before the men, and he stood by them under the tree, while they did eat. Then one of them said: Where is Sarah your wife? Abraham answered: She is in the tent. Then said he: In a year I will return, and Sarah shall then have a son. Sarah heard this in the tent and laughed; for she thought she was too old to have children. But the one who was the Lord said: Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? (Gen. 15:5, 6; 18:1-14.)
[11. Abraham Prays for Sodom]
And the men rose up, and Abraham followed them. Then the Lord said: I will destroy Sodom; for its sins are grievous. The two angels went toward Sodom, and Abraham stood alone before the Lord and said: Wilt Thou consume the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou not spare it for the sake of these? The Lord answered: If I find fifty righteous I will not consume it. Abraham said: Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes; peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty, wilt Thou destroy the whole city for lack of five? The Lord answered: I will not destroy it if I find there forty and five. And Abraham continued to pray, until he came down to ten, and the Lord promised to spare the city if He should find ten righteous in it.
Meanwhile the two angels came to Sodom and went in to Lot. Then the men in the city surrounded Lot’s house to seize the angels; but they smote them with blindness, and brought Lot and his wife and his two daughters out of the city. And one of the angels said: Look not behind thee, neither stay in all the plain; escape to the mountain. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Then the Lord rained fire from heaven, and the fertile plain where Sodom and Gomorrah stood became the Dead Sea.—Thus it appeared that there were not ten righteous in Sodom. (Gen. 18:16-33; 19.)
[12. God Proves Abraham]
God visited Sarah at the time He had promised, and she bare a son, who was called Isaac. Abraham was then 100 years old, and Sarah was 90.