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.
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent as the day became really hot.
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.
He looked up and all of a sudden he saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran over 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:
He said, “Sir, if you please, don't continue your journey without spending some time here with me, your servant.
4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest 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.
Also let me bring some food so you can get your strength back before you go on your way, now that you've come to visit me here.” “That would be fine,” they answered. “Please do as you've suggested.”
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.
Abraham hurried back to the tent and told Sarah, “Quick! Make some bread using three large measures of the best flour. Knead the dough and bake the 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.
Then Abraham ran to the cattle herd and chose a good, young calf and gave it to his servant who quickly killed and cooked 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 he took some yogurt, milk, and the cooked meat, and placed the food in front of them. He stood nearby under a tree while 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 him. “Over there, inside 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 one said, “I promise you that I will come back to visit you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening, hiding just inside the entrance to the tent behind him.
11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
12 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
Sarah was laughing inside, saying to herself, “Now that I'm old and worn out, how would I experience pleasure? My husband is old too!”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and ask, ‘How could it possibly be true that I'll have a child now I'm so 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 to do? I will come back next year when I said I would, in the spring, 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:
Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
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.
Then the men left. They looked down on Sodom and headed in that direction. Abraham accompanied them part of the way.
17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going 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 definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
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.
I've chosen him so that he will teach his sons and their families to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is right and good, so that I, the Lord, can do for Abraham what I 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, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
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 ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
23 And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along 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 good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people 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.
No, you can't do something like that! You can't kill the good with the wicked, otherwise you would be treating the good and the wicked in the same way. You can't do that! Isn't the Judge of all the earth going to do the right thing?”
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.
“If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
“Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
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.
“What if there are forty-five good people, just five less? Are you still going to wipe out the whole town just because there are five fewer people?” “I won't destroy it if I find forty-five,” the Lord replied.
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.
Abraham spoke up again and he asked the Lord, “What if only forty can be found?” “I won't do it for the sake of the forty,” the Lord replied.
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.
“My Lord, please don't get angry with me,” Abraham went on. “Let me ask this—what if only thirty were found?” “I won't do it if I find thirty,” the Lord replied.
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.
“I admit I've been very bold to speak to my Lord like this,” Abraham said. “What if only twenty are found there?” “I won't do it for the sake of the twenty,” the Lord replied.
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.
“Please don't get angry with me, my Lord,” Abraham said. “Just let me ask one more thing. What if only ten are found there?” “I won't destroy it for the sake of the ten,” the Lord replied.
33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
