Genesis 18
1 Againe the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre, as he sate in his tent doore about the heate of the day.
One day during that year when it was hot, Yahweh appeared to Abraham again near the big trees that belonged to Mamre, while Abraham was sitting in the entrance to his tent.
2 And he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde.
Abraham looked up [MTY] and was surprised to see three men standing near him. [Actually, one was Yahweh, and the other two were angels]. When he saw them, he ran to meet them. He prostrated himself with his face on the ground to show respect,
3 And he said, Lord, if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, from thy seruant.
and said [to one of them], “Sir, if you are pleased with me, stay here for a little while [LIT].
4 Let a litle water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feete, and rest your selues vnder the tree.
Allow my servants to bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest under this tree.
5 And I will bring a morsell of bread, that you may comfort your hearts, afterward ye shall go your wayes: for therefore are ye come to your seruant. And they said, Do euen as thou hast said.
Since you have come here to me, allow me to bring you some food [SYN] so that you can feel refreshed before you leave.” Yahweh replied, “All right, do as you have said.”
6 Then Abraham made haste into the tent vnto Sarah, and saide, Make ready at once three measures of fine meale: kneade it, and make cakes vpon the hearth.
So Abraham quickly went into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, get some of our best flour and make some loaves of bread!”
7 And Abraham ranne to the beastes, and tooke a tender and good calfe, and gaue it to the seruant, who hasted to make it ready.
Then he ran to the herd of cattle and selected a calf whose meat would be tender and tasty. He gave it to one of his servants [and told him to] quickly kill it and cook it.
8 And he tooke butter and milke, and the calfe, which he had prepared, and set before them, and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree, and they did eate.
When the meat was cooked, Abraham brought some curds and milk and the meat that had been prepared, and set them in front of his visitors. Then he stood near them, under a tree, while they ate.
9 Then they saide to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he answered, Beholde, she is in the tent.
[One of] them asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He replied, “She is in the tent.”
10 And he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. and Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him.
Then the leader of the group said, “I will return to you (about this time/in the springtime) next year, and to your amazement, your wife Sarah will have an infant son.” It happened that Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind the one who was speaking.
11 (Nowe Abraham and Sarah were old and striken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the maner of women)
Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was far past the time of when she could bear children.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxed olde, and my lord also, shall I haue lust?
So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “My body is worn out, and my husband is old. So how can I have the pleasure [of having a child]?” [RHQ]
13 And ye Lord saide vnto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah thus laugh, saying, Shall I certainely beare a childe, which am olde?
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why was she thinking, ‘I am too old, so how can I bear a child?’
14 (Shall any thing be hard to the Lord? at the time appointed will I returne vnto thee, euen according to the time of life, and Sarah shall haue a sonne.)
I am Yahweh! (Is there anything too difficult for me?/There is nothing too difficult for me!) [RHQ] I will return about this time next year in the springtime, and Sarah will have an infant son.”
15 But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not: for she was afraide. And he said, It is not so: for thou laughedst.
Then Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh said, “Don’t deny it! You did laugh.”
16 Afterwarde the men did rise vp from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
When the three men got up to leave, they looked down into the valley toward Sodom [city]. Abraham was walking with them to say “goodbye” to them.
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe,
Yahweh thought to himself, “It is not right for me to prevent Abraham from knowing what I plan to do [RHQ].
18 Seeing that Abraham shalbe in deede a great and a mightie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him?
Abraham’s descendants [MTY] will become a great and powerful nation. And people of [MTY] all nations will be blessed because of what I do for him.
19 For I knowe him that he will commande his sonnes and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him.
I have chosen him in order that he will teach his children and their families to obey me and do what is right and fair, and then I will do for Abraham what I promised.”
20 Then the Lord saide, Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorah is great, and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous,
So Yahweh said to Abraham, “I have heard the terrible things that have been said about the people of [MTY] Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are very great.
21 I will goe downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me: and if not, that I may knowe.
So I will go down now, and I will see if all the terrible things that I have heard are true or not true.”
22 And the men turned thence and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord.
Then the two men turned and started walking toward Sodom. But Yahweh remained, standing in front of Abraham.
23 Then Abraham drewe neere, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Abraham came closer to him and said, “Will you really destroy righteous people along with wicked ones?
24 If there be fiftie righteous within the citie, wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therein?
What will you do if there are only 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really get rid of them all, and not spare the place/city for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in the city?
25 Be it farre from thee from doing this thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be euen as the wicked, be it farre from thee. shall not the Iudge of all the worlde doe right?
It would certainly not be right for you to do such a thing, to kill righteous people along with wicked ones, and treat righteous people and wicked people the same way. You could not do that, because you, who are the judge of everyone on the earth, will certainly do what is right [regarding the people of Sodom]!” [RHQ]
26 And the Lord answered, If I shall finde in Sodom fiftie righteous within the citie, then will I spare all the place for their sakes.
Yahweh replied, “If I find 50 righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place/city for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, Behold nowe, I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord, and I am but dust and ashes.
Abraham replied, “I should not be bold like this and speak to you, God, because I am as worthless as dust and ashes [MET].
28 If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous, wilt thou destroy all the citie for fiue? And he saide, If I finde there fiue and fourtie, I will not destroy it.
But what will you do if there are only 45 righteous people? Will you destroy everyone in the whole city because there are only 45 and not 50 righteous people?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy it if I find that there are 45 righteous people.”
29 And he yet spake to him againe, and saide, What if there shalbe found fourtie there? Then he answered, I will not doe it for fourties sake.
Abraham continued to speak to him [like this], saying, “What will you do if you find that there are only 40 righteous people there?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy them all, for the sake of the 40.”
30 Againe he said, Let not my Lord nowe be angry, that I speake, What if thirtie be founde there? Then he saide, I will not doe it, if I finde thirtie there.
Abraham said, “God, please don’t be angry now. Let me speak again. What will you do if there are only 30 righteous people?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find that there are 30 there.”
31 Moreouer he said, Behold, now I haue begonne to speake vnto my Lord, What if twentie be founde there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for twenties sake.
Abraham said, “I should not be bold and speak to you like this, God. But what will you do if you find that there are only 20 righteous people there?” He replied, “I will not destroy the whole city, for the sake of those 20.”
32 Then he saide, Let not my Lord be nowe angrie, and I will speake but this once, What if tenne be found there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for tennes sake.
Abraham said, “God, don’t be angry now. Just let me speak one time more. What will you do if you find that there are only ten righteous people there?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city for the sake of those ten.”
33 And the Lord went his way when he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned vnto his place.
Abraham said no more, and as soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
