Genesis 18
1 Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men, standing near him. When he had seen them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and he reverenced them on the ground.
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 to the earth,
3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.
4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 And I will set out a meal of bread, so that you may strengthen your heart; after this you will pass on. It is for this reason that you have turned aside to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have spoken.”
And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart. After that ye shall pass on, inasmuch as ye came to your servant. And they said, Do so as thou have said.
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and he said to her, “Quickly, mix together three measures of the finest wheat flour and make loaves baked under the ashes.”
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.
7 In truth, he himself ran to the herd, and he took a calf from there, very tender and very good, and he gave it to a servant, who hurried and boiled it.
And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to the servant. And he hastened to dress it.
8 Likewise, he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and he placed it before them. Yet truly, he himself stood near them under the tree.
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.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said to him, “When returning, I will come to you at this time, with life as a companion, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent.
And he said, I will certainly return to thee when the season comes round, and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age. It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I have become old shall I have pleasure, my lord also being old?
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I who am old certainly bear a child?
14 Is anything difficult for God? According to the announcement, he will return to you at this same time, with life as a companion, and Sarah will have a son.”
Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to thee, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”
Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And he said, No, but thou did laugh.
16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do,
18 since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know that he will instruct his sons, and his household after him, to keep to the way of the Lord, and to act with judgment and justice, so that, for the sake of Abraham, the Lord may bring about all the things that he has spoken to him.”
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.
20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
21 I will descend and see whether they have fulfilled the work of the outcry that has reached me, or whether it is not so, in order that I may know.”
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which comes to me. And if not, I will know.
22 And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.
And the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham yet stood before Jehovah.
23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will thou consume righteous men with wicked men?
24 If there were fifty of the just in the city, will they perish with the rest? And will you not spare that place for the sake of fifty of the just, if they were in it?
Perhaps there are fifty righteous men within the city. Will thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous men that are in it?
25 Far be it from you to do this thing, and to kill the just with the impious, and for the just to be treated like the impious. No, this is not like you. You judge all the earth; you would never make such a judgment.”
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay a righteous man with a wicked man, that so the righteous man should be as the wicked man. Far be it from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said to him, “If I find in Sodom fifty of the just in the midst of the city, I will release the entire place because of them.”
And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous men within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
28 What if there were five less than fifty of the just? Would you, despite the forty-five, eliminate the entire city?” And he said, “I will not eliminate it, if I find forty-five there.”
Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous men. Will thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty-five.
29 And again he said to him, “But if forty were found there, what would you do?” He said, “I will not strike, for the sake of the forty.”
And he spoke to him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
30 “I ask you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak. What if thirty were found there?” He responded, “I will not act, if I find thirty there.”
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 “Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.”
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
32 “I beg you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more. What if ten were found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.
And Jehovah went his way as soon as he had left off conversing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
