Genesis 18
1 Forsothe in the valei of Mambre the Lord apperide to Abraham, sittynge in the dore of his tabernacle, in thilke heete of the dai.
Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent doorway in the heat of the day.
2 And whanne he hadde reisid his iyen, thre men apperiden to hym, and stoden nyy hym. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he ran fro the dore of his tabernacle in to the meting of hem, and he worschipide on erthe,
He looked up and, behold, he saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed low to the ground.
3 and seide, Lord, if Y haue founde grace in thin iyen, passe thou not thi seruaunt,
He said, “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by and leave your servant.
4 but I schal brynge a litil watir, and youre feet be waischid, and reste ye vndur the tre;
Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 and Y schal sette a mussel of breed, and youre herte be coumfortid; aftirward ye schulen passe; for herfor ye bowiden to youre seruaunt. Whiche seiden, Do thou as thou hast spoke.
Let me bring a little food, so that you may refresh yourselves. Afterwards you can go your way, since you have come to your servant.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”
6 Abraham hastide in to the tabernacle, to Sare, and seide to hir, Hast thou, meddle thou thre half buschelis of clene flour; and make thou looues bakun vndur aischis.
Then Abraham quickly went into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Hurry, get three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.”
7 Forsothe he ran to the droue of beestis, and took therof a calf moost tendre and best, and yaf to a child, which hastide, and sethede the calfe;
Then Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf that was tender and good, and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
8 and he took botere, and mylk, and the calf which he hadde sode, and settide bifore hem; forsothe Abraham stood bisidis hem vndur the tre.
He took curds and milk, and the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 And whanne thei hadden ete, thei seiden to hym, Where is Sare thi wijf? He answerde, Lo! sche is in the tabernacle.
They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, in the tent.”
10 To whom the Lord seide, Y schal turne ayen, and Y schal come to thee in this tyme, if Y lyue; and Sare, thi wijf, schal haue a sone. Whanne this was herd, Sare leiyede bihynde the dore of the tabernacle.
He said, “I will certainly return to you in the springtime, and see, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah was listening in the tent doorway, which was behind him.
11 Forsothe bothe weren olde, and of greet age, and wommans termes ceessiden to be maad to Sare.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, very advanced in age, and Sarah had passed the age when women could bear children.
12 And she leiyede, seiynge pryueli, after that Y wexede eld, and my lord is eld, schal Y yyue diligence to lust?
So Sarah laughed to herself, saying to herself, “After I am worn-out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 Forsothe the Lord seide to Abraham, Whi leiyeth Sare, thi wijf, seiynge, whether Y an eld womman schal bere child verili?
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really bear a child, when I am old'?
14 whether ony thing is hard to God? Bi the biheeste Y schal turne ayen to thee in this same tyme, if Y lyue; and Sara schal haue a sone.
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the time appointed by me, in the spring, I will return to you. About this time next year Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sare was aferd for drede, and denyede, seiynge, Y leiyede not. Forsothe the Lord seide, It is not so, but thou leiyedist.
Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He replied, “No, you did laugh.”
16 Therfor whanne the men hadden risen fro thennus, thei dressiden the iyen ayens Sodom; and Abraham yede to gidre, ledynge hem forth.
Then the men arose to leave and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.
17 And the Lord seide, Wher Y mowe hele fro Abraham what thingis Y schal do,
But Yahweh said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 sithen he schal be in to a greet folk and moost strong, and alle naciouns of erthe schulen be blessid in hym?
since Abraham will indeed become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?
19 For Y woot that Abraham schal comaunde hise children, and his hows after hym, that thei kepe the weie of the Lord, and that thei do riytfulnesse and dom, that the Lord bringe for Abraham alle thingis whiche he spak to Abraham.
For I have chosen him so that he may instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has said to him.”
20 And so the Lord seide, The cry of men of Sodom and of men of Gomorre is multiplied, and her synne is agreggid greetli; Y schal come doun,
Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and because their sin is so serious,
21 and schal se whether thei han fillid in werk the cry that cam to me, that Y wite whether it is not so.
I will now go down there and see the outcry against her that has come to me, whether they have really done it. If not, I will know.”
22 And thei turneden han fro thennus, and yeden to Sodom. Abraham sotheli stood yit bifore the Lord,
So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before Yahweh.
23 and neiyede, and seide, Whether thou schalt leese a iust man with the wickid man?
Then Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 if fifti iust men ben in the citee, schulen thei perische togidere, and schalt thou not spare that place for fifti iust men, if thei ben ther ynne?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are there?
25 Fer be it fro thee that thou do this thing, and sle a iust man with a wickid man, and that a iust man be maad as a wickid man; this is not thin that demest al erthe; thou schalt not make this doom.
Far be it from you to do such a thing, killing the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated the same as the wicked. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
26 And the Lord seide to him, If Y schal fynde in Sodom fifti iust men in the myddis of the citee, Y schal foryyue to al the place for hem.
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answerde and seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord, sithen Y am dust and aische;
Abraham answered and said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord, even though I am only dust and ashes!
28 what if lesse than fifti iust men bi fyue ben, schalt thou do a wey al the cite for fyue and fourti? And the Lord seide, Y schal not do a wei, if I schal fynde fyue and fourti there.
What if there are five less than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” Then he said, “I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.”
29 And eft Abraham seide to hym, But if fourti ben there, what schalt thou do? The Lord seide, Y schal not smyte for fourti.
He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the forty's sake.”
30 Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, take thou not to indignacioun, if Y speke; what if thretti be foundun there? The Lord answerde, Y schal not do, if Y schal fynde thretti there.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham seide, For Y bigan onys, Y schal speke to my Lord; what if twenti be foundun there? The Lord seide, Y schal not sle for twenti.
He said, “Look, I have undertaken to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.”
32 Abraham seide, Lord, Y biseche, be thou not wrooth, if Y speke yit onys; what if ten be founden there? The Lord seide, Y schal not do a wey for ten.
He said, “Please do not be angry, Lord, and I will speak this one last time. Perhaps ten will be found there.” Then he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.”
33 The Lord yede forth, after that he ceesside to speke to Abraham, and Abraham turnede ayen in to his place.
Yahweh went on his way as soon as he had finished talking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.
