< Genesis 18 >
1 And YHWH appears to him among the oaks of Mamre, and he is sitting at the opening of the tent, about the heat of the day;
Againe the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre, as he sate in his tent doore about the heate of the day.
2 and he lifts up his eyes and looks, and behold, three men standing by him, and he sees, and runs to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bows himself toward the earth,
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.
3 and he says, “My Lord, if now I have found grace in Your eyes, please do not pass on from Your servant;
And he said, Lord, if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, from thy seruant.
4 please let a little water be accepted, and wash Your feet, and recline under the tree;
Let a litle water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feete, and rest your selues vnder the tree.
5 and I bring a piece of bread, and support Your heart; afterward pass on, for therefore You have passed over to Your servant”; and they say, “So may you do as you have spoken.”
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.
6 And Abraham hurries toward the tent, to Sarah, and says, “Hurry three measures of flour-meal, knead, and make cakes”;
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.
7 and Abraham ran to the herd, and takes a son of the herd, tender and good, and gives to the young man, and he hurries to prepare it;
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.
8 and he takes butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he has prepared, and sets before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they eat.
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.
9 And they say to him, “Where [is] Sarah your wife?” And he says, “Behold—in the tent”;
Then they saide to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he answered, Beholde, she is in the tent.
10 and He says, “Returning I return to you, about the time of life, and behold, to Sarah your wife a son.” And Sarah is listening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;
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.
11 and Abraham and Sarah [are] aged, entering into days—the way of women has ceased to be to Sarah;
(Nowe Abraham and Sarah were old and striken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the maner of women)
12 and Sarah laughs in her heart, saying, “After I have waxed old have I had pleasure? My lord [is] also old!”
Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxed olde, and my lord also, shall I haue lust?
13 And YHWH says to Abraham, “Why [is] this? Sarah has laughed, saying, Is it really true—I bear—and I am aged?
And ye Lord saide vnto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah thus laugh, saying, Shall I certainely beare a childe, which am olde?
14 Is anything too wonderful for YHWH? At the appointed time I return to you, about the time of life, and Sarah has a son.”
(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.)
15 And Sarah denies, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she has been afraid; and He says, “No, but you did laugh.”
But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not: for she was afraide. And he said, It is not so: for thou laughedst.
16 And the men rise from there, and look on the face of Sodom, and Abraham is going with them to send them away;
Afterwarde the men did rise vp from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 and YHWH said, “Am I concealing from Abraham that which I am doing,
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe,
18 and Abraham certainly becomes a great and mighty nation, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?
Seeing that Abraham shalbe in deede a great and a mightie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him?
19 For I have known him, that he commands his children, and his house after him (and they have kept the way of YHWH), to do righteousness and judgment, that YHWH may bring on Abraham that which He has spoken concerning him.”
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.
20 And YHWH says, “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah—because great; and their sin—because exceedingly grievous:
Then the Lord saide, Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorah is great, and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous,
21 I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming to Me they have done completely—and if not—I know”;
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.
22 and the men turn from there, and go toward Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before YHWH.
And the men turned thence and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham draws near and says, “Do You also consume righteous with wicked?
Then Abraham drewe neere, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city; do You also consume, and not bear with the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who [are] in its midst?
If there be fiftie righteous within the citie, wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therein?
25 Far be it from You to do according to this thing, to put to death the righteous with the wicked; that it has been—as the righteous so the wicked—far be it from You; does the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”
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?
26 And YHWH says, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.”
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.
27 And Abraham answers and says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord, and I [am] dust and ashes;
Then Abraham answered and said, Behold nowe, I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord, and I am but dust and ashes.
28 perhaps there are lacking five of the fifty righteous—do You destroy for five the whole of the city?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], if I find there forty-five.”
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.
29 And he adds again to speak to Him and says, “Perhaps there are found there forty?” And He says, “I do not do [it], because of the forty.”
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.
30 And he says, “Please let it not be displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: perhaps there are found there thirty?” And He says, “I do not do [it], if I find there thirty.”
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.
31 And he says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord: perhaps there are found there twenty?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the twenty.”
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.
32 And he says, “Please let it not be displeasing to the Lord, and I speak only this time: perhaps there are found there ten?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the ten.”
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.
33 And YHWH goes on, when He has finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham has turned back to his place.
And the Lord went his way when he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned vnto his place.