Genesis 18
1 And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon.
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.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold! three men stood before him; and having seen them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and did obeisance to the ground.
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.
3 And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
4 Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do you refresh [yourselves] under the tree.
But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
5 And I will bring bread, and you shall eat, and after this you shall depart on your journey, on account of which [refreshment] you have turned aside to your servant. And he said, So do, as you have said.
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.
6 And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes.
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.
7 And Abraam ran to the kine, and took a young calf, tender and good, and gave it to his servant, and he hasted to dress it.
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.
8 And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed; and he set them before them, and they did eat, and he stood by them under the tree.
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.
9 And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
10 And he said, I will return and come to you according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha your wife shall have a son; and Sarrha heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.
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.
11 And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
12 And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.
And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
13 And the Lord said to Abraam, Why is it that Sarrha has laughed in herself, saying, Shall I then indeed bear? but I am grown old.
And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?
14 Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to you seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son.
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.
15 But Sarrha denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said to her, Nay, but you did laugh.
Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:
16 And the men having risen up from thence looked towards Sodom and Gomorrha. And Abraam went with them, attending them on their journey.
And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
18 But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest.
Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
19 For I know that he will order his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all things whatever he has spoken to him.
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.
20 And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha has been increased towards me, and their sins are very great.
And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
21 I will therefore go down and see, if they completely correspond with the cry which comes to me, and if not, that I may know.
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.
22 And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
23 And Abraam drew near and said, Wouldest you destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?
And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
24 Should there be fifty righteous in the city, will you destroy them? will you not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous, if they be in it?
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?
25 By no means shall you do as this thing [is] so as to destroy the righteous with the wicked, so the righteous shall be as the wicked: by no means. You that judge the whole earth, shall you not do right?
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.
26 And the Lord said, If there should be in Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole city, and the whole place for their sakes.
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.
27 And Abraam answered and said, Now I have begun to speak to my Lord, and I am earth and ashes.
And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
28 But if the fifty righteous should be diminished to forty-five, will you destroy the whole city because of the five [lacking]? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there forty-five.
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.
29 And he continued to speak to him still, and said, But if there should be found there forty? And he said, I will not destroy it for the forty's sake.
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.
30 And he said, Will there be anything [against me], Lord, if I shall speak? but if there be found there thirty? And he said, I will not destroy it for the thirty's sake.
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.
31 And he said, Since I am able to speak to the Lord, what if there should be found there twenty? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there twenty.
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.
32 And he said, Will there be anything [against me], Lord, if I speak yet once? but if there should be found there ten? And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
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.
33 And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.
And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
