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.
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.
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.
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.
3 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
Let a little water be brought, that you may 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.
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.”
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.
So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
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.
Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare 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.
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.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.
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.
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.
11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; 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?
So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can 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 difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—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:
But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “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.
When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
18 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
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 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.”
20 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so 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 to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
23 And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away 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 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?
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.
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?”
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.
So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but 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.
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.”
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.
Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
