Genesis 18
1 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.
And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 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.
And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3 He said, “Sir, if you please, don't continue your journey without spending some time here with me, your servant.
and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 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.”
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart. After that ye shall pass on, inasmuch as ye came to your servant. And they said, Do so as thou have said.
6 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.”
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
7 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.
And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to the servant. And he hastened to dress it.
8 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.
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 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.
And he said, I will certainly return to thee when the season comes round, and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age. It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 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!”
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have become old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old?
13 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?’
And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I who am old certainly bear a child?
14 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.”
Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to thee, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said, No, but thou did laugh.
16 Then the men left. They looked down on Sodom and headed in that direction. Abraham accompanied them part of the way.
And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do,
18 Abraham will definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 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.”
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
20 Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21 I ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which comes to me. And if not, I will know.
22 The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
And the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham yet stood before Jehovah.
23 Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men?
24 What if there are fifty good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people there?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it?
25 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?”
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
27 “Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
28 “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.
Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.
29 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.
And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
30 “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.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 “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.
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
32 “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.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
And Jehovah went his way as soon as he had left off conversing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
