< 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 Jehovah appeareth unto him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about 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.
and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,
3 And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
And he saith, 'My Lord, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, do not, I pray thee, pass on from thy servant;
4 Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do you refresh [yourselves] under the tree.
let, I pray thee, a little water be accepted, and wash your feet, and recline 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 bring a piece of bread, and support ye your heart; afterwards pass on, for therefore have ye passed over unto your servant;' and they say, 'So mayest thou do as thou has 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.
And Abraham hasteth towards the tent, unto Sarah, and saith, 'Hasten three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes;'
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 Abraham ran unto the herd, and taketh a son of the herd, tender and good, and giveth unto the young man, and he hasteth 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.
and he taketh butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he hath prepared, and setteth before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they do eat.
9 And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
And they say unto him, 'Where [is] Sarah thy wife?' and he saith, 'Lo — 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 saith, 'returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.'
11 And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
And Sarah is hearkening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;
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 Abraham and Sarah [are] aged, entering into days — the way of women hath ceased to be to Sarah;
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 Sarah laugheth in her heart, saying, 'After I have waxed old I have had pleasure! — my lord also [is] old!'
14 Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to you seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son.
And Jehovah saith unto Abraham, 'Why [is] this? Sarah hath laughed, saying, Is it true really — I bear — and I am aged? Is any thing too wonderful for Jehovah? at the appointed time I return unto thee, about the time of life, and Sarah hath 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.
And Sarah denieth, saying, 'I did not laugh;' for she hath been afraid; and He saith, '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 the men rise from thence, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away;
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
and Jehovah said, 'Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing,
18 But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest.
and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?
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 known him, that he commandeth his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of Jehovah), to do righteousness and judgment, that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.'
20 And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha has been increased towards me, and their sins are very great.
And Jehovah saith, 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah — because great; and their sin — because exceeding 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 go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely — and if not — I know;'
22 And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
and the men turn from thence, and go towards Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before Jehovah.
23 And Abraam drew near and said, Wouldest you destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?
And Abraham draweth nigh and saith, 'Dost Thou also consume righteous with 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?
peradventure there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; dost Thou also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty — the righteous who [are] in its midst?
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 according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it hath been — as the righteous so the wicked — far be it from Thee; doth the Judge of all the earth not do justice?'
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 Jehovah saith, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the 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 answereth and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I — 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.
peradventure there are lacking five of the fifty righteous — dost Thou destroy for five the whole of the city?' and He saith, 'I destroy [it] not, if I find there forty and 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.
And he addeth again to speak unto Him and saith, 'Peradventure there are found there forty?' and He saith, 'I do [it] not, because of the 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.
And he saith, 'Let it not be, I Pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, 'I do [it] not, if I find there thirty.'
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.
And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy [it], because of the 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.
And he saith, 'Let it not be, I pray Thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: peradventure there are found there ten?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy [it], because of the ten.'
33 And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.
And Jehovah goeth on, when He hath finished speaking unto Abraham, and Abraham hath turned back to his place.

< Genesis 18 >