Genesis 18
1 And Yahweh appeared unto him among the oaks of Mamre, —as, he, was sitting at the opening of the tent in the heat of the day.
Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! three men, standing over against him, —so he looked and ran to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth;
And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 and said, —O My Lord! if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, do not I pray thee pass on from thy servant.
“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
4 Let there be fetched, I pray thee a little water, and bathe ye your feet, —and rest yourselves under the tree.
Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 And let me fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart, Afterwards, ye may pass on, For on this account, have ye passed by, over against your servant. And they said, Thus, shalt thou do as thou hast spoken.
And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hastened towards the tent unto Sarah, —and said, Hasten thou three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make hearth-cakes.
So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
7 And unto the herd, ran Abraham, —and took a calf tender and good and gave unto the young man, and he hastened to make it ready.
Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8 And he took butter and milk and the calf that he had made ready, and set before them, —while, he, was standing near them under the tree, they did eat.
Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 And they said unto him, As to Sarah thy wife… And he said Lo! [she is] in the tent.
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.
10 And he said, I will, surely return, unto thee at the quickening season, —and lo! a son for Sarah thy wife. Now Sarah, was hearkening at the opening of the tent, it, being behind him.
Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
11 But Abraham and Sarah, were old, far gone in days, —it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12 So then Sarah laughed within herself, saying: After I am past age, hath there come to me pleasure, my lord, also being old?
So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 And Yahweh said unto Abraham, —Wherefore now did Sarah laugh saying. Can it really and truly be that I should bear, seeing that I have become old?
And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’
14 Is anything, too wonderful for Yahweh? At the appointed time, I will return unto thee, at the quickening season and Sarah, shall have a son.
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
15 And Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, For she was afraid. And he said—Nay! but thou didst laugh!
But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked out over the face of Sodom, —Abraham also going with them to set them on their way.
When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
17 Now, Yahweh, had said, —Am I going to hide from Abraham what I do,
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
18 when, Abraham, shall surely become, a great and mighty nation, —and all the nations of the earth, shall be blessed in him?
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
19 For I have become his intimate friend, To the end that he may command his sons and his house after him, so shall they keep the way of Yahweh, by doing righteousness and justice. To the end that Yahweh may bring in for Abraham, what he hath spoken concerning him.
For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
20 So Yahweh said, The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it hath become great, —And their sin, because it hath become exceeding grievous,
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
21 Let me go down, pray, and let me behold, whether according to their outcry which hath come in unto me, they have done altogether, And if not. I must know!
I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
22 And the men turned from thence, and went their way, towards Sodom, —but, Yahweh was yet standing before Abraham.
And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
23 So then Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou really sweep away, the righteous with the lawless?
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous, in the midst of the city, Wilt thou really sweep away, and not spare the place, for the sake of the fifty righteous which are therein?
What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there?
25 Far be it from thee! to do after this manner. to put to death the righteous with the lawless! Then should righteous and lawless be alike, Far be it from thee! Shall, the Judge of all the earth not do justice?
Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26 And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then will I spare all the place for their sake.
So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
27 And Abraham responded and said, —Behold I pray thee I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, though I am dust and ashes:
Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
28 Peradventure there may lack, of the fifty righteous, five, Wilt thou destroy for five all the city? And he said, I will not destroy, if I find there forty and five.
suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he added, yet once more, to speak unto him, and said, Peradventure there may be found there—forty. And he said—I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.
Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
30 And he said Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak, Peradventure there may be found there—thirty And he said, I will not to it, if I find there—thirty.
Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
31 And he said Behold, I pray thee, I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, Peradventure there may be found there—twenty. And he said I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.
And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 And he said, Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak only this once, Peradventure there may be found there—ten. And he said, I will not destroy [it], for the sake of the ten!
Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”
33 And Yahweh went his way, when he had made an end. of speaking unto Abraham, —Abraham, also returned to his place.
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
