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 Yahweh appeared unto him among the oaks of Mamre, —as, he, was sitting at the opening of the tent 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, standing over against him, —so he looked and ran to meet them from the opening of the tent, 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, —O My Lord! if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, do not I pray thee pass on from thy servant.
4 Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Let there be fetched, I pray thee a little water, and bathe ye 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 let me fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart, Afterwards, ye may pass on, For on this account, have ye passed by, over against your servant. And they said, Thus, shalt thou do as thou hast spoken.
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.”
So Abraham hastened towards the tent unto Sarah, —and said, Hasten thou three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make hearth-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 unto the herd, ran Abraham, —and took a calf tender and good and gave unto the young man, and he hastened to make it ready.
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 that he had made ready, and set before them, —while, he, was standing near them under the tree, they did eat.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
And they said unto him, As to Sarah thy wife… And he said Lo! [she is] 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, surely return, unto thee at the quickening season, —and lo! a son for Sarah thy wife. Now Sarah, was hearkening at the opening of the tent, it, being behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
But Abraham and Sarah, were old, far gone in days, —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!”
So then Sarah laughed within herself, saying: After I am past age, hath there come to me 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 Yahweh said unto Abraham, —Wherefore now did Sarah laugh saying. Can it really and truly be that I should bear, seeing that I have become old?
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 wonderful for Yahweh? At the appointed time, I will return unto thee, at the quickening season 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.
And Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, For she was afraid. And he said—Nay! but thou didst 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 thence, and looked out over the face of Sodom, —Abraham also going with them to set them on their way.
17 Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
Now, Yahweh, had said, —Am I going to hide from Abraham what I do,
18 Abraham will definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
when, 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 become his intimate friend, To the end that he may command his sons and his house after him, so shall they keep the way of Yahweh, by doing righteousness and justice. To the end that Yahweh may bring in for Abraham, what he hath spoken concerning him.
20 Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
So Yahweh said, The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it hath become great, —And their sin, because it hath become exceeding grievous,
21 I ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
Let me go down, pray, and let me behold, whether according to their outcry which hath come in unto me, they have done altogether, And if not. I must know!
22 The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
And the men turned from thence, and went their way, towards Sodom, —but, Yahweh was yet standing before Abraham.
23 Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
So then Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou really sweep away, the righteous with the lawless?
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?
Peradventure there are fifty righteous, in the midst of the city, Wilt thou really sweep away, and not spare the place, for the sake of the fifty righteous which are therein?
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?”
Far be it from thee! to do after this manner. to put to death the righteous with the lawless! Then should righteous and lawless be alike, Far be it from thee! Shall, the Judge of all the earth not do justice?
26 “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then will I 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 responded and said, —Behold I pray thee I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, though I am 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.
Peradventure there may lack, of the fifty righteous, five, Wilt thou destroy for five all the city? And he said, I will not destroy, if I find there forty and 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 added, yet once more, to speak unto him, and said, Peradventure there may be found there—forty. And he said—I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.
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 Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak, Peradventure there may be found there—thirty And he said, I will not to it, if I find there—thirty.
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, I pray thee, I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, Peradventure there may be found there—twenty. And he said I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.
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, Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak only this once, Peradventure there may be found there—ten. And he said, I will not destroy [it], for the sake of the ten!
33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
And Yahweh went his way, when he had made an end. of speaking unto Abraham, —Abraham, also returned to his place.
