Genesis 18
1 And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: and as soon as he saw them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.
4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
6 Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”
7 And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man: who made haste and boiled it.
Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
8 He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.”
10 And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I am old?’
14 Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:
Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
16 And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,
18 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
19 For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham’s sake the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
20 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21 I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me: or whether it be not so, that I may know.
I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”
22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
23 And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
24 If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
25 Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked, this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.
May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
28 What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”
30 Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”
32 I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
Yahweh went his way as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
