Genesis 18
1 apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent as the day became really hot.
2 cumque elevasset oculos apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes propter eum quos cum vidisset cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi et adoravit in terra
He looked up and all of a sudden he saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran over to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 et dixit Domine si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis ne transeas servum tuum
He said, “Sir, if you please, don't continue your journey without spending some time here with me, your servant.
4 sed adferam pauxillum aquae et lavate pedes vestros et requiescite sub arbore
Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
5 ponam buccellam panis et confortate cor vestrum postea transibitis idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum qui dixerunt fac ut locutus es
Also let me bring some food so you can get your strength back before you go on your way, now that you've come to visit me here.” “That would be fine,” they answered. “Please do as you've suggested.”
6 festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Sarram dixitque ei adcelera tria sata similae commisce et fac subcinericios panes
Abraham hurried back to the tent and told Sarah, “Quick! Make some bread using three large measures of the best flour. Knead the dough and bake the bread.”
7 ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum deditque puero qui festinavit et coxit illum
Then Abraham ran to the cattle herd and chose a good, young calf and gave it to his servant who quickly killed and cooked it.
8 tulit quoque butyrum et lac et vitulum quem coxerat et posuit coram eis ipse vero stabat iuxta eos sub arbore
Then he took some yogurt, milk, and the cooked meat, and placed the food in front of them. He stood nearby under a tree while they ate.
9 cumque comedissent dixerunt ad eum ubi est Sarra uxor tua ille respondit ecce in tabernaculo est
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
10 cui dixit revertens veniam ad te tempore isto vita comite et habebit filium Sarra uxor tua quo audito Sarra risit post ostium tabernaculi
Then one said, “I promise you that I will come back to visit you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening, hiding just inside the entrance to the tent behind him.
11 erant autem ambo senes provectaeque aetatis et desierant Sarrae fieri muliebria
Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
12 quae risit occulte dicens postquam consenui et dominus meus vetulus est voluptati operam dabo
Sarah was laughing inside, saying to herself, “Now that I'm old and worn out, how would I experience pleasure? My husband is old too!”
13 dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham quare risit Sarra dicens num vere paritura sum anus
The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and ask, ‘How could it possibly be true that I'll have a child now I'm so old?’
14 numquid Deo est quicquam difficile iuxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore vita comite et habebit Sarra filium
Is anything too difficult for the Lord to do? I will come back next year when I said I would, in the spring, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 negavit Sarra dicens non risi timore perterrita Dominus autem non est inquit ita sed risisti
Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
16 cum ergo surrexissent inde viri direxerunt oculos suos contra Sodomam et Abraham simul gradiebatur deducens eos
Then the men left. They looked down on Sodom and headed in that direction. Abraham accompanied them part of the way.
17 dixitque Dominus num celare potero Abraham quae gesturus sum
Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam ac robustissimam et benedicendae sint in illo omnes nationes terrae
Abraham will definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
19 scio enim quod praecepturus sit filiis suis et domui suae post se ut custodiant viam Domini et faciant iustitiam et iudicium ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quae locutus est ad eum
I've chosen him so that he will teach his sons and their families to follow the way of the Lord by doing what is right and good, so that I, the Lord, can do for Abraham what I promised.”
20 dixit itaque Dominus clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrae multiplicatus est et peccatum earum adgravatum est nimis
Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
21 descendam et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me opere conpleverint an non est ita ut sciam
I ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
22 converteruntque se inde et abierunt Sodomam Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino
The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
23 et adpropinquans ait numquid perdes iustum cum impio
Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
24 si fuerint quinquaginta iusti in civitate peribunt simul et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta iustos si fuerint in eo
What if there are fifty good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people there?
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
No, you can't do something like that! You can't kill the good with the wicked, otherwise you would be treating the good and the wicked in the same way. You can't do that! Isn't the Judge of all the earth going to do the right thing?”
26 dixitque Dominus ad eum si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta iustos in medio civitatis dimittam omni loco propter eos
“If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
27 respondens Abraham ait quia semel coepi loquar ad Dominum meum cum sim pulvis et cinis
“Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
28 quid si minus quinquaginta iustis quinque fuerint delebis propter quinque universam urbem et ait non delebo si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque
“What if there are forty-five good people, just five less? Are you still going to wipe out the whole town just because there are five fewer people?” “I won't destroy it if I find forty-five,” the Lord replied.
29 rursumque locutus est ad eum sin autem quadraginta inventi fuerint quid facies ait non percutiam propter quadraginta
Abraham spoke up again and he asked the Lord, “What if only forty can be found?” “I won't do it for the sake of the forty,” the Lord replied.
30 ne quaeso inquit indigneris Domine si loquar quid si inventi fuerint ibi triginta respondit non faciam si invenero ibi triginta
“My Lord, please don't get angry with me,” Abraham went on. “Let me ask this—what if only thirty were found?” “I won't do it if I find thirty,” the Lord replied.
31 quia semel ait coepi loquar ad Dominum meum quid si inventi fuerint ibi viginti dixit non interficiam propter viginti
“I admit I've been very bold to speak to my Lord like this,” Abraham said. “What if only twenty are found there?” “I won't do it for the sake of the twenty,” the Lord replied.
32 obsecro inquit ne irascaris Domine si loquar adhuc semel quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem dixit non delebo propter decem
“Please don't get angry with me, my Lord,” Abraham said. “Just let me ask one more thing. What if only ten are found there?” “I won't destroy it for the sake of the ten,” the Lord replied.
33 abiit Dominus postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham et ille reversus est in locum suum
The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
