Genesis 18
1 One day during that year when it was hot, Yahweh appeared to Abraham again near the big trees that belonged to Mamre, while Abraham was sitting in the entrance to his tent.
And God appeared to him by the oak of Mambre, as he sat by the door of his tent at noon.
2 Abraham looked up [MTY] and was surprised to see three men standing near him. [Actually, one was Yahweh, and the other two were angels]. When he saw them, he ran to meet them. He prostrated himself with his face on the ground to show respect,
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.
3 and said [to one of them], “Sir, if you are pleased with me, stay here for a little while [LIT].
And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in your sight, pass not by your servant.
4 Allow my servants to bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest under this tree.
Let water now be brought, and let them wash your feet, and do you refresh [yourselves] under the tree.
5 Since you have come here to me, allow me to bring you some food [SYN] so that you can feel refreshed before you leave.” Yahweh replied, “All right, do as you have said.”
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.
6 So Abraham quickly went into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, get some of our best flour and make some loaves of bread!”
And Abraam hasted to the tent to Sarrha, and said to her, Hasten, and knead three measures of fine flour, and make cakes.
7 Then he ran to the herd of cattle and selected a calf whose meat would be tender and tasty. He gave it to one of his servants [and told him to] quickly kill it and cook it.
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.
8 When the meat was cooked, Abraham brought some curds and milk and the meat that had been prepared, and set them in front of his visitors. Then he stood near them, under a tree, while they ate.
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.
9 [One of] them asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He replied, “She is in the tent.”
And he said to him, Where is Sarrha your wife? And he answered and said, Behold! in the tent.
10 Then the leader of the group said, “I will return to you (about this time/in the springtime) next year, and to your amazement, your wife Sarah will have an infant son.” It happened that Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind the one who was speaking.
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.
11 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was far past the time of when she could bear children.
And Abraam and Sarrha were old, advanced in days, and the custom of women ceased with Sarrha.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “My body is worn out, and my husband is old. So how can I have the pleasure [of having a child]?” [RHQ]
And Sarrha laughed in herself, saying, The thing has not as yet happened to me, even until now, and my lord is old.
13 Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why was she thinking, ‘I am too old, so how can I bear a child?’
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.
14 I am Yahweh! (Is there anything too difficult for me?/There is nothing too difficult for me!) [RHQ] I will return about this time next year in the springtime, and Sarah will have an infant son.”
Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to you seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh said, “Don’t deny it! You did laugh.”
But Sarrha denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said to her, Nay, but you did laugh.
16 When the three men got up to leave, they looked down into the valley toward Sodom [city]. Abraham was walking with them to say “goodbye” to them.
And the men having risen up from thence looked towards Sodom and Gomorrha. And Abraam went with them, attending them on their journey.
17 Yahweh thought to himself, “It is not right for me to prevent Abraham from knowing what I plan to do [RHQ].
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraam my servant what things I intend to do?
18 Abraham’s descendants [MTY] will become a great and powerful nation. And people of [MTY] all nations will be blessed because of what I do for him.
But Abraam shall become a great and populous nation, and in him shall all the nations of the earth be blest.
19 I have chosen him in order that he will teach his children and their families to obey me and do what is right and fair, and then I will do for Abraham what I promised.”
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.
20 So Yahweh said to Abraham, “I have heard the terrible things that have been said about the people of [MTY] Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are very great.
And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha has been increased towards me, and their sins are very great.
21 So I will go down now, and I will see if all the terrible things that I have heard are true or not true.”
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.
22 Then the two men turned and started walking toward Sodom. But Yahweh remained, standing in front of Abraham.
And the men having departed thence, came to Sodom; and Abraam was still standing before the Lord.
23 Abraham came closer to him and said, “Will you really destroy righteous people along with wicked ones?
And Abraam drew near and said, Wouldest you destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?
24 What will you do if there are only 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really get rid of them all, and not spare the place/city for the sake of the 50 righteous people who are in the city?
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?
25 It would certainly not be right for you to do such a thing, to kill righteous people along with wicked ones, and treat righteous people and wicked people the same way. You could not do that, because you, who are the judge of everyone on the earth, will certainly do what is right [regarding the people of Sodom]!” [RHQ]
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?
26 Yahweh replied, “If I find 50 righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place/city for their sake.”
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.
27 Abraham replied, “I should not be bold like this and speak to you, God, because I am as worthless as dust and ashes [MET].
And Abraam answered and said, Now I have begun to speak to my Lord, and I am earth and ashes.
28 But what will you do if there are only 45 righteous people? Will you destroy everyone in the whole city because there are only 45 and not 50 righteous people?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy it if I find that there are 45 righteous people.”
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.
29 Abraham continued to speak to him [like this], saying, “What will you do if you find that there are only 40 righteous people there?” Yahweh replied, “I will not destroy them all, for the sake of the 40.”
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.
30 Abraham said, “God, please don’t be angry now. Let me speak again. What will you do if there are only 30 righteous people?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find that there are 30 there.”
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.
31 Abraham said, “I should not be bold and speak to you like this, God. But what will you do if you find that there are only 20 righteous people there?” He replied, “I will not destroy the whole city, for the sake of those 20.”
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.
32 Abraham said, “God, don’t be angry now. Just let me speak one time more. What will you do if you find that there are only ten righteous people there?” Yahweh answered, “I will not destroy the city for the sake of those ten.”
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.
33 Abraham said no more, and as soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
And the Lord departed, when he left off speaking to Abraam, and Abraam returned to his place.
