Genesis 18
1 Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei.
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.
2 Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum: quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi sui, et adoravit in terram.
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,
3 Et dixit: Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum:
and said [to one of them], “Sir, if you are pleased with me, stay here for a little while [LIT].
4 sed afferam pauxillum aquae, et laventur pedes vestri, et requiescite sub arbore.
Allow my servants to bring a little water and wash your feet, and rest under this tree.
5 Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortetur cor vestrum, postea transibitis: idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. Qui dixerunt: Fac ut locutus es.
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.”
6 Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei: Accelera, tria sata similae commisce, et fac subcinericios panes.
So Abraham quickly went into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, get some of our best flour and make some loaves of bread!”
7 Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero: qui festinavit, et coxit illum.
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.
8 Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis: ipse vero stabat iuxta eos sub arbore.
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.
9 Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum: Ubi est Sara uxor tua? ille respondit: Ecce in tabernaculo est.
[One of] them asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He replied, “She is in the tent.”
10 Cui dixit: Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.
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.
11 Erant autem ambo senes, provectaeque aetatis, et desierant Sarae fieri muliebria.
Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was far past the time of when she could bear children.
12 Quae risit occulte dicens: Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo?
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]
13 Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham: Quare risit Sara, dicens: Num vere paritura sum anus?
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why was she thinking, ‘I am too old, so how can I bear a child?’
14 Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile? iuxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium.
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.”
15 Negavit Sara, dicens: Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem: Non est, inquit, ita: sed risisti.
Then Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But Yahweh said, “Don’t deny it! You did laugh.”
16 Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam: et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.
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.
17 Dixitque Dominus: Num celare potero Abraham quae gesturus sum:
Yahweh thought to himself, “It is not right for me to prevent Abraham from knowing what I plan to do [RHQ].
18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et BENEDICENDAe sint in illo omnes nationes terrae?
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.
19 Scio enim quod praecepturus sit filiis suis, et domui suae post se ut custodiant viam Domini, et faciant iudicium et iustitiam: ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quae locutus est ad eum.
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.”
20 Dixit itaque Dominus: Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhaeorum multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.
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.
21 Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint: an non est ita, ut sciam.
So I will go down now, and I will see if all the terrible things that I have heard are true or not true.”
22 Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam: Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino.
Then the two men turned and started walking toward Sodom. But Yahweh remained, standing in front of Abraham.
23 Et appropinquans ait: Numquid perdes iustum cum impio?
Abraham came closer to him and said, “Will you really destroy righteous people along with wicked ones?
24 Si fuerint quinquaginta iusti in civitate, peribunt simul? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta iustos, si fuerint in eo?
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?
25 Absit a te, ut rem hanc facias, et occidas iustum cum impio, fiatque iustus sicut impius, non est hoc tuum: qui iudicas omnem terram, nequaquam facies iudicium hoc.
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]
26 Dixitque Dominus ad eum: Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta iustos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos.
Yahweh replied, “If I find 50 righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place/city for their sake.”
27 Respondensque Abraham, ait: Quia semel coepi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.
Abraham replied, “I should not be bold like this and speak to you, God, because I am as worthless as dust and ashes [MET].
28 Quid si minus quinquaginta iustis quinque fuerint? delebis, quia quadraginta quinque, universam urbem? Et ait: Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque.
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.”
29 Rursumque locutus est ad eum: Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies? Ait: Non percutiam propter quadraginta.
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.”
30 Ne quaeso, inquit, indigneris Domine, si loquar: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta? Respondit: Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.
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.”
31 Quia semel, ait, coepi loquar ad Dominum meum: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti? Ait: Non interficiam propter viginti.
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.”
32 Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris Domine, si loquar adhuc semel: Quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem? Et dixit: Non delebo propter decem.
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.”
33 Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham: et ille reversus est in locum suum.
Abraham said no more, and as soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
