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.
L’Eterno apparve ad Abrahamo alle querce di Mamre, mentre questi sedeva all’ingresso della sua tenda durante il caldo del giorno.
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.
Abrahamo alzò gli occhi, ed ecco che scòrse tre uomini, i quali stavano dinanzi a lui; e come li ebbe veduti, corse loro incontro dall’ingresso della tenda, si prostrò fino a terra e disse:
3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
“Deh, Signor mio, se ho trovato grazia davanti a te, non passare senza fermarti dal tuo servo!
4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Deh, lasciate che si porti un po’ d’acqua; e lavatevi i piedi; e riposatevi sotto quest’albero.
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.”
lo andrò a prendere un pezzo di pane, e vi fortificherete il cuore; poi, continuerete il vostro cammino; poiché per questo siete passati presso al vostro servo”. E quelli dissero: “Fa’ come hai detto”.
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.”
Allora Abrahamo andò in fretta nella tenda da Sara, e le disse: “Prendi subito tre misure di fior di farina, impastala, e fa’ delle schiacciate”.
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.
Poi Abrahamo corse all’armento, ne tolse un vitello tenero e buono, e lo diede a un servo, il quale s’affrettò a prepararlo.
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.
E prese del burro, del latte e il vitello ch’era stato preparato, e li pose davanti a loro; ed egli se ne stette in piè presso di loro sotto l’albero. E quelli mangiarono.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
Poi essi gli dissero: “Dov’è Sara tua moglie?” Ed egli rispose: “E’ là nella tenda”.
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.
E l’altro: “Tornerò certamente da te fra un anno; ed ecco, Sara tua moglie avrà un figliuolo”. E Sara ascoltava all’ingresso della tenda, ch’era dietro a 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 Abrahamo e Sara eran vecchi, bene avanti negli anni, e Sara non aveva più i corsi ordinari delle donne.
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?”
E Sara rise dentro di sé, dicendo: “Vecchia come sono, avrei io tali piaceri? e anche il mio signore è vecchio!”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
E l’Eterno disse ad Abrahamo: “Perché mai ha riso Sara, dicendo: Partorirei io per davvero, vecchia come sono?
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.”
V’ha egli cosa che sia troppo difficile per l’Eterno? Al tempo fissato, fra un anno, tornerò, e Sara avrà un figliuolo”.
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.”
Allora Sara negò, dicendo: “Non ho riso”; perch’ebbe paura. Ma egli disse: “Invece, hai riso!”
16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
Poi quegli uomini s’alzarono e volsero gli sguardi verso Sodoma; e Abrahamo andava con loro per accomiatarli.
17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
E l’Eterno disse: “Celerò io ad Abrahamo quello che sto per fare,
18 since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
giacché Abrahamo deve diventare una nazione grande e potente e in lui saran benedette tutte le nazioni della terra?
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.”
Poiché io l’ho prescelto affinché ordini ai suoi figliuoli, e dopo di sé alla sua casa, che s’attengano alla via dell’Eterno per praticare la giustizia e l’equità, onde l’Eterno ponga ad effetto a pro d’Abrahamo quello che gli ha promesso”.
20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
E l’Eterno disse: “Siccome il grido che sale da Sodoma e Gomorra è grande e siccome il loro peccato è molto grave,
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.”
io scenderò e vedrò se hanno interamente agito secondo il grido che n’è pervenuto a me; e, se così non è, lo saprò”.
22 And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.
E quegli uomini, partitisi di là, s’avviarono verso Sodoma; ma Abrahamo rimase ancora davanti all’Eterno.
23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
E Abrahamo s’accostò e disse: “Farai tu perire il giusto insieme con l’empio?
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?
Forse ci son cinquanta giusti nella città; farai tu perire anche quelli? o non perdonerai tu a quel luogo per amore de’ cinquanta giusti che vi sono?
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.”
Lungi da te il fare tal cosa! il far morire il giusto con l’empio, in guisa che il giusto sia trattato come l’empio! lungi da te! Il giudice di tutta la terra non farà egli giustizia?”
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.”
E l’Eterno disse: “Se trovo nella città di Sodoma cinquanta giusti, perdonerò a tutto il luogo per amor d’essi”.
27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.
E Abrahamo riprese e disse: “Ecco, prendo l’ardire di parlare al Signore, benché io non sia che polvere e cenere;
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.”
forse, a que’ cinquanta giusti ne mancheranno cinque; distruggerai tu tutta la città per cinque di meno?” E l’Eterno: “Se ve ne trovo quarantacinque, non la distruggerò”.
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.”
Abrahamo continuò a parlargli e disse: “Forse, vi se ne troveranno quaranta”. E l’Eterno: “Non io farò, per amor dei quaranta”.
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.”
E Abrahamo disse: “Deh, non si adiri il Signore, ed io parlerò. Forse, vi se ne troveranno trenta”. E l’Eterno: “Non lo farò, se ve ne trovo trenta”.
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.”
E Abrahamo disse: “Ecco, prendo l’ardire di parlare al Signore; forse, vi se ne troveranno venti”. E l’Eterno: “Non la distruggerò per amore dei venti”.
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.”
E Abrahamo disse: “Deh, non si adiri il Signore, e io parlerò ancora questa volta soltanto. Forse, vi se ne troveranno dieci”. E l’Eterno: “Non la distruggerò per amore de’ dieci”.
33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.
E come l’Eterno ebbe finito di parlare ad Abrahamo, se ne andò. E Abrahamo tornò alla sua dimora.
