Genesis 18
1 Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
天正熱的時候，亞巴郎坐在帳幕門口，上主在瑪默勒橡樹林那裏，給他顯現出來。
2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men, standing near him. When he had seen them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and he reverenced them on the ground.
他舉目一望，見有三人站在對面。他一見就由帳幕門口跑去迎接他們，俯伏在地，
3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
說：「我主如果我蒙你垂愛，請不要由你僕人這裏走過去，
4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.
我叫人拿點水來，洗洗你們的腳，然後在樹下休息休息。
5 And I will set out a meal of bread, so that you may strengthen your heart; after this you will pass on. It is for this reason that you have turned aside to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have spoken.”
你們既然路過你僕人這裏，等我拿點餅來，吃點點心，然後再走。」他們答說：「就照你所說的做罷! 」
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and he said to her, “Quickly, mix together three measures of the finest wheat flour and make loaves baked under the ashes.”
亞巴郎趕快進入帳幕，到撒辣前說：「你快拿三斗細麵，和一和，作些餅。」
7 In truth, he himself ran to the herd, and he took a calf from there, very tender and very good, and he gave it to a servant, who hurried and boiled it.
遂又跑到牛群中，選了一頭又嫩又肥的牛犢，交給僕人，要他趕快煮好。
8 Likewise, he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and he placed it before them. Yet truly, he himself stood near them under the tree.
亞巴郎遂拿了凝乳和牛奶，及預備好了的牛犢，擺在他們面前；他們吃的時候，自己在樹下侍候。
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
他們對他說：「你的妻子撒辣在那裏﹖」他答說：「在帳幕裏。」
10 And he said to him, “When returning, I will come to you at this time, with life as a companion, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent.
其中一位說：「明年此時我必回到你這裏，那時，你的妻子撒辣要有一個兒子。」辣其時正在那人背後的帳幕門口竊聽。
11 Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
亞巴郎和撒辣都已年老，年紀很大，而且撒辣的月經早已停止。
12 And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”
撒辣遂心裏竊笑說：「現在，我已衰老，同我年老的丈夫，還有這喜事嗎﹖」
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
上主對亞巴郎說：「撒辣為什麼笑﹖且說：像我這樣老，真的還能生育﹖
14 Is anything difficult for God? According to the announcement, he will return to you at this same time, with life as a companion, and Sarah will have a son.”
為上主豈有難事﹖明年這時，我必要回到你這裏，那時撒辣必有一個兒子。」
15 Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”
撒辣害怕了，否認說：「我沒有笑。」但是那位說：「不，你實在笑了。」
16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
後來那三人由那裏起身，望著索多瑪前行；亞巴郎送他們，也一同前行。
17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
上主說：「我要作的事，豈能瞞著亞巴郎﹖
18 since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
因為他要成為一強大而又興盛的民族，地上所有的民族，都要因他蒙受祝福；
19 For I know that he will instruct his sons, and his household after him, to keep to the way of the Lord, and to act with judgment and justice, so that, for the sake of Abraham, the Lord may bring about all the things that he has spoken to him.”
何況我揀選了他，是要他訓令自己的子孫和未來的家族，保持上主的正道，實行公義正道，好使上主能實現他對亞巴郎所許的事。」
20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
上主於是說：「控告索多瑪和哈摩辣的聲音實在很大，他們的罪惡實在深重!
21 I will descend and see whether they have fulfilled the work of the outcry that has reached me, or whether it is not so, in order that I may know.”
我要下去看看，願意知道：是否他們所行的全如達到我前的呼聲一樣。」
22 And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.
三人中有二人轉身向索多瑪走去；亞巴郎卻仍立在上主面前。
23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
亞巴郎近前來說：「你真要將義人同惡人一起消滅嗎﹖
24 If there were fifty of the just in the city, will they perish with the rest? And will you not spare that place for the sake of fifty of the just, if they were in it?
假如城中有五十個義人，你還要消滅嗎﹖不為其中的那五十個義人，赦免那地方嗎﹖
25 Far be it from you to do this thing, and to kill the just with the impious, and for the just to be treated like the impious. No, this is not like you. You judge all the earth; you would never make such a judgment.”
你決不能如此行事，將義人同惡人一併誅滅；將義人如惡人一樣看待，你決不能! 審判全地的主，豈能不行公義﹖」
26 And the Lord said to him, “If I find in Sodom fifty of the just in the midst of the city, I will release the entire place because of them.”
上主答說：「假如我在索多瑪城中找出了五十個義人，為了他們我要赦免整個地方。」
27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.
亞巴郎接著說：「
28 What if there were five less than fifty of the just? Would you, despite the forty-five, eliminate the entire city?” And he said, “I will not eliminate it, if I find forty-five there.”
我雖只是塵埃灰土，膽敢再對我主說：假如五十個義人中少了五個怎樣﹖你就為了少五個而毀滅全城嗎﹖」他答說：「假如我在那裏找到四十五個，我不毀滅。」
29 And again he said to him, “But if forty were found there, what would you do?” He said, “I will not strike, for the sake of the forty.”
亞巴郎再向他進言說：「假如在那裏找到四十個怎樣﹖」他答說：「為了這四十個我也不做這事。」
30 “I ask you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak. What if thirty were found there?” He responded, “I will not act, if I find thirty there.”
亞巴郎說：「求我主且勿動怒，容我再進一言：假如在那裏找到三十個怎樣﹖」他答說：「假如在那裏我找到三十個，我也不做這事。」
31 “Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.”
亞巴郎說：「我再放膽對我主進一言：假如在那裏找到二十個怎樣﹖」他答說：「為了這二十個，我也不毀滅。」
32 “I beg you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more. What if ten were found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
亞巴郎求：「求我主且勿動怒，容我最後一次進言：假如在那裏找到十個怎樣﹖」他答說：「為了這十個我也不毀滅。」
33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.
上主向亞巴郎說完話就走了；亞巴郎也回家去了。
