As they were eating sitting under a tree, God asked Abraham where Sarah was, and he said she was in the tent. God told him then that by next year Sarah would have a son. By this time Sarah was beyond the age of child bearing, and so when she heard this inside the tent she laughed to herself! She was thinking how it was possible in her condition, and even her husband was old. God asked, "Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for God?" Sarah was scared to see that God knew what she had done, and tried to cover up by bluffing that she had not laughed. But God told her He knew she had laughed.

After food, the men got up, looking towards Sodom. God said to Himself that since Abraham was going to become the father of many nations he should be told about something major that He was going to do. He told Abraham that He had seen the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that He was going there to deal with it. Abraham figured out that God might destroy those places in judgment, and thought immediately of Lot and family there. He asked God if He would destroy the cities if there were at least fifty righteous people there. God obliged Abraham by assuring him that in such a case He would not destroy the cities. But the reputation of these cities was so bad that even Abraham was not sure there would be fifty such people there. He reduced the number gradually to forty five, then forty, thirty, twenty and finally ten! He knew he was taking some liberties with God, but God gave him that freedom as His friend. God promised him that even if there were ten righteous people, He would desist from destroying those cities. After this He sent the two angels towards Sodom and Gomorrah.

When they reached the cities, it was almost night time. They were planning to sleep in the city square when Lot saw them and invited them to stay in his house for the night so that they could leave in the morning. They agreed when Lot insisted and went inside his house.