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.
Et l’Éternel lui apparut auprès des chênes de Mamré; et il était assis à l’entrée de la tente, pendant la chaleur du jour.
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.
Et il leva les yeux et regarda; et voici, trois hommes se tenaient près de lui; et quand il les vit, il courut de l’entrée de la tente à leur rencontre, et se prosterna en terre;
3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
et il dit: Seigneur, si j’ai trouvé grâce à tes yeux, ne passe point outre, je te prie, d’auprès de ton serviteur.
4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Qu’on prenne, je te prie, un peu d’eau, et vous laverez vos pieds, et vous vous reposerez sous l’arbre;
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.”
et je prendrai un morceau de pain, et vous réconforterez votre cœur, après quoi vous passerez outre; car c’est pour cela que vous avez passé près de votre serviteur. Et ils dirent: Fais ainsi, comme tu l’as dit.
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.”
Et Abraham alla en hâte dans la tente vers Sara, et dit: Prends vite trois mesures de fleur de farine, pétris, et fais des gâteaux.
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.
Et Abraham courut au troupeau, et prit un veau tendre et bon, et le donna à un jeune homme qui se hâta de l’apprêter.
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.
Et il prit de la crème et du lait, et le veau qu’il avait apprêté, et le mit devant eux, et il se tint auprès d’eux sous l’arbre, et ils mangèrent.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
Et ils lui dirent: Où est Sara, ta femme? Et il dit: Voici, dans la tente.
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.
Et il dit: Je reviendrai certainement vers toi quand [son] terme sera là, et voici, Sara, ta femme, aura un fils. Et Sara écoutait à l’entrée de la tente, qui était derrière lui.
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.
Or Abraham et Sara étaient vieux, avancés en âge; Sara avait cessé d’avoir ce qu’ont les femmes.
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?”
Et Sara rit en elle-même, disant: Étant vieille, aurai-je du plaisir?… mon seigneur aussi est âgé.
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
Et l’Éternel dit à Abraham: Pourquoi Sara a-t-elle ri, disant: Est-ce que vraiment j’aurai un enfant, moi qui suis vieille?
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.”
Y a-t-il quelque chose qui soit trop difficile pour l’Éternel? Au temps fixé je reviendrai vers toi, quand [son] terme sera là, et Sara aura un fils.
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.”
Et Sara [le] nia, disant: Je n’ai pas ri; car elle eut peur. Et il dit: Non, car tu as ri.
16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
Et les hommes se levèrent de là, et regardèrent du côté de Sodome; et Abraham allait avec eux pour leur faire la conduite.
17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
Et l’Éternel dit: Cacherai-je à Abraham ce que je vais faire,
18 since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
puisque Abraham doit certainement devenir une nation grande et forte, et qu’en lui seront bénies toutes les nations de la terre?
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.”
Car je le connais, [et je sais] qu’il commandera à ses fils et à sa maison après lui de garder la voie de l’Éternel, pour pratiquer ce qui est juste et droit, afin que l’Éternel fasse venir sur Abraham ce qu’il a dit à son égard.
20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
Et l’Éternel dit: Parce que le cri de Sodome et de Gomorrhe est grand, et que leur péché est très aggravé,
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.”
eh bien, je descendrai, et je verrai s’ils ont fait entièrement selon le cri qui en est venu jusqu’à moi; et sinon, je le saurai.
22 And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.
Et les hommes se détournèrent de là, et ils allaient vers Sodome; et Abraham se tenait encore devant l’Éternel.
23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
Et Abraham s’approcha, et dit: Feras-tu périr le juste avec le méchant?
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?
Peut-être y a-t-il 50 justes dans la ville; [la] détruiras-tu, et ne pardonneras-tu pas à la ville à cause des 50 justes qui seront en elle?
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.”
Loin de toi d’agir de cette manière, de faire mourir le juste avec le méchant, et qu’il en soit du juste comme du méchant! Loin de toi! Le juge de toute la terre ne fera-t-il pas ce qui est juste?
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.”
Et l’Éternel dit: Si je trouve dans Sodome 50 justes, au-dedans de la ville, je pardonnerai à tout le lieu à cause d’eux.
27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.
Et Abraham répondit et dit: Voici, je te prie, j’ai osé parler au Seigneur, moi qui suis poussière et cendre.
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.”
Peut-être en manquera-t-il cinq, des 50 justes; détruiras-tu pour cinq toute la ville? Et il dit: Je ne la détruirai pas, si j’y en trouve 45.
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.”
Et il continua encore de lui parler, et dit: Peut-être s’y en trouvera-t-il 40? Et il dit: Je ne le ferai pas, à cause des 40.
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.”
Et il dit: Je te prie, que le Seigneur ne s’irrite pas, et je parlerai: Peut-être s’y en trouvera-t-il 30? Et il dit: Je ne le ferai pas, si j’y en trouve 30.
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.”
Et il dit: Voici, j’ai osé parler au Seigneur: Peut-être s’y en trouvera-t-il 20? Et il dit: Je ne la détruirai pas, à cause des 20.
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.”
Et il dit: Je te prie, que le Seigneur ne s’irrite pas, et je parlerai encore une seule fois: Peut-être s’y en trouvera-t-il 10? Et il dit: Je ne la détruirai pas, à cause des 10.
33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.
Et l’Éternel s’en alla quand il eut achevé de parler à Abraham; et Abraham s’en retourna en son lieu.
