< Genesis 18 >
1 And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon.
Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent doorway in the 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.
He looked up and, behold, he saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed low to the ground.
3 And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
He said, “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by and leave your servant.
4 Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do you refresh [yourselves] under the tree.
Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and rest yourselves 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.
Let me bring a little food, so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you can go your way, since you have come to your servant.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”
6 And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes.
Then Abraham quickly went into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry, get three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.”
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.
Then Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf that was tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare 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 curds and milk, and the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 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.
He said, “I will certainly return to you in the springtime, and see, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent doorway, which was behind him.
11 And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, very advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age when women could bear children.
12 And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying to herself, “After I am worn-out and my master is old, will I now have this 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.
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really bear a child, when I am old'?
14 Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to you seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son.
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed by me, in the spring, I will return to you. About this time next year Sarah will 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.
Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He replied, “No, you did 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.
Then the men arose to leave and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
But Yahweh said, “Should 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.
since Abraham will indeed become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
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 have chosen him so that he may instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has said to him.”
20 And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha has been increased towards me, and their sins are very great.
Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and because their sin is so serious,
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 now go down there and see the outcry against her that has come to me, whether they have really done it. If not, I will know.”
22 And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before Yahweh.
23 And Abraam drew near and said, Wouldest you destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?
Then Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the righteous 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?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are there?
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 you to do such a thing, killing the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated the same as the wicked. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
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.
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then 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.
Abraham answered and said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, even though I am only 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 are five less than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” Then he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.”
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.
He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the forty's sake.”
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.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “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.
He said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.”
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.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak this one last time. Perhaps ten will be found there.” Then he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.”
33 And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.
Yahweh went on his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.