Genesis 18
1 Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
And YHWH appears to him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day;
2 And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
and he lifts up his eyes and looks, and behold, three men standing by him, and he sees, and runs to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bows himself toward the earth,
3 “My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
and he says, “My Lord, if now I have found grace in Your eyes, please do not pass on from Your servant;
4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
please let a little water be accepted, and wash Your feet, and recline under the tree;
5 And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”
and I bring a piece of bread, and support Your heart; afterward pass on, for therefore You have passed over to Your servant”; and they say, “So may you do as you have spoken.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
And Abraham hurries toward the tent, to Sarah, and says, “Hurry three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes”;
7 Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
and Abraham ran to the herd, and takes a son of the herd, tender and good, and gives to the young man, and he hurries to prepare it;
8 Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
and he takes butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he has prepared, and sets before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they eat.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.
And they say to him, “Where [is] Sarah your wife?” And he says, “Behold—in the tent”;
10 Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
and He says, “Returning I return to you, about the time of life, and behold, to Sarah your wife a son.” And Sarah is listening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;
11 And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
and Abraham and Sarah [are] aged, entering into days—the way of women has ceased to be to Sarah;
12 So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
and Sarah laughs in her heart, saying, “After I have waxed old have I had pleasure? My lord [is] also old!”
13 And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’
And YHWH says to Abraham, “Why [is] this? Sarah has laughed, saying, Is it really true—I bear—and I am aged?
14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
Is anything too wonderful for YHWH? At the appointed time I return to you, about the time of life, and Sarah has a son.”
15 But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
And Sarah denies, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she has been afraid; and He says, “No, but you did laugh.”
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
And the men rise from there, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away;
17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
and YHWH said, “Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing,
18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
and Abraham certainly becomes a great and mighty nation, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?
19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
For I have known him, that he commands his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of YHWH), to do righteousness and judgment, that YHWH may bring on Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him.”
20 Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
And YHWH says, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah—because great; and their sin—because exceedingly grievous:
21 I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming to Me they have done completely—and if not—I know”;
22 And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
and the men turn from there, and go toward Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before YHWH.
23 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
And Abraham draws near and says, “Do You also consume righteous with wicked?
24 What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; do You also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who [are] in its midst?
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
Far be it from You to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it has been—as the righteous so the wicked—far be it from You; does the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”
26 So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
And YHWH says, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
And Abraham answers and says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord, and I [am] dust and ashes;
28 suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
perhaps there are lacking five of the fifty righteous—do You destroy for five the whole of the city?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], if I find there forty-five.”
29 Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
And he adds again to speak to Him and says, “Perhaps there are found there forty?” And He says, “I do not do [it], because of the forty.”
30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
And he says, “Please let it not be displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: perhaps there are found there thirty?” And He says, “I do not do [it], if I find there thirty.”
31 And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
And he says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord: perhaps there are found there twenty?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the twenty.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”
And he says, “Please let it not be displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: perhaps there are found there ten?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the ten.”
33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
And YHWH goes on, when He has finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham has turned back to his place.
