< Genesis 18 >

1 And the LORD appeared to him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּֽוֹם׃
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
יֻקַּֽח־נָא מְעַט־מַיִם וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנוּ תַּחַת הָעֵֽץ׃
5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that you shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
וְאֶקְחָה פַת־לֶחֶם וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth.
וַיְמַהֵר אַבְרָהָם הָאֹהֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֲרִי שְׁלֹשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח סֹלֶת לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגֽוֹת׃
7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and brought a calf tender and good, and gave [it] to a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח בֶּן־בָּקָר רַךְ וָטוֹב וַיִּתֵּן אֶל־הַנַּעַר וַיְמַהֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
וַיִּקַּח חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב וּבֶן־הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וְהֽוּא־עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם תַּחַת הָעֵץ וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
9 And they said to him, Where [is] Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בָאֹֽהֶל׃
10 And he said, I will certainly return to thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him.
וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה־בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ וְשָׂרָה שֹׁמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃
11 Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] far advanced in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה זְקֵנִים בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים חָדַל לִהְיוֹת לְשָׂרָה אֹרַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
וַתִּצְחַק שָׂרָה בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֵאמֹר אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי הֽ͏ָיְתָה־לִּי עֶדְנָה וֽ͏ַאדֹנִי זָקֵֽן׃
13 And the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I certainly bear a child, who am old?
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָהָם לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד וַאֲנִי זָקַֽנְתִּי׃
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return to thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵיְהוָה דָּבָר לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וּלְשָׂרָה בֵֽן׃
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
וַתְּכַחֵשׁ שָׂרָה ׀ לֵאמֹר לֹא צָחַקְתִּי כִּי ׀ יָרֵאָה וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ לֹא כִּי צָחָֽקְתְּ׃
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
וַיָּקֻמוּ מִשָּׁם הֽ͏ָאֲנָשִׁים וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ עַל־פְּנֵי סְדֹם וְאַבְרָהָם הֹלֵךְ עִמָּם לְשַׁלְּחָֽם׃
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
וַֽיהֹוָה אָמָר הֽ͏ַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֽ͏ֵאַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶֽׂה׃
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
וְאַבְרָהָם הָיוֹ יִֽהְיֶה לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם וְנִבְרְכוּ בוֹ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָֽרֶץ׃
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט לְמַעַן הָבִיא יְהוָה עַל־אַבְרָהָם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר עָלָֽיו׃
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי־רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹֽד׃
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.
אֵֽרֲדָה־נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ ׀ כָּלָה וְאִם־לֹא אֵדָֽעָה׃
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went towards Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הֽ͏ָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּלְכוּ סְדֹמָה וְאַבְרָהָם עוֹדֶנּוּ עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי יְהוָֽה׃
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
וַיִּגַּשׁ אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה צַדִּיק עִם־רָשָֽׁע׃
24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] in it?
אוּלַי יֵשׁ חֲמִשִּׁים צַדִּיקִם בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר הַאַף תִּסְפֶּה וְלֹא־תִשָּׂא לַמָּקוֹם לְמַעַן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת ׀ כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם־רָשָׁע וְהָיָה כַצַדִּיק כָּרָשָׁע חָלִלָה לָּךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אִם־אֶמְצָא בִסְדֹם חֲמִשִּׁים צַדִּיקִם בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר וְנָשָׂאתִי לְכָל־הַמָּקוֹם בַּעֲבוּרָֽם׃
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I, who [am] dust and ashes, have taken upon me to speak to the LORD.
וַיַּעַן אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הִנֵּה־נָא הוֹאַלְתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֶל־אֲדֹנָי וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵֽפֶר׃
28 Peradventure there will lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].
אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם חֲמִשָּׁה הֲתַשְׁחִית בַּחֲמִשָּׁה אֶת־כָּל־הָעִיר וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית אִם־אֶמְצָא שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃
29 And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Peradventure there will be forty found there. And he said, I will not do [it] for forty's sake.
וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד לְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמַר אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֽ͏ֶעֱשֶׂה בַּעֲבוּר הָאַרְבָּעִֽים׃
30 And he said, Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there will thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־נָא יִחַר לֽ͏ַאדֹנָי וַאֲדַבֵּרָה אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם שְׁלֹשִׁים וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֽ͏ֶעֱשֶׂה אִם־אֶמְצָא שָׁם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים׃
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the LORD: Peradventure there will be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake.
וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּֽה־נָא הוֹאַלְתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֶל־אֲדֹנָי אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם עֶשְׂרִים וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית בַּעֲבוּר הֽ͏ָעֶשְׂרִֽים׃
32 And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten will be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־נָא יִחַר לַֽאדֹנָי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אַךְ־הַפַּעַם אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית בַּעֲבוּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה׃
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר אֶל־אַבְרָהָם וְאַבְרָהָם שָׁב לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃

< Genesis 18 >