Genesis 18
1 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.
Againe the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre, as he sate in his tent doore about the heate of the day.
2 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.
And he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde.
3 He said, “Sir, if you please, don't continue your journey without spending some time here with me, your servant.
And he said, Lord, if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight, goe not, I pray thee, from thy seruant.
4 Let me have some water brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.
Let a litle water, I pray you, be brought, and wash your feete, and rest your selues vnder the tree.
5 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.”
And I will bring a morsell of bread, that you may comfort your hearts, afterward ye shall go your wayes: for therefore are ye come to your seruant. And they said, Do euen as thou hast said.
6 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.”
Then Abraham made haste into the tent vnto Sarah, and saide, Make ready at once three measures of fine meale: kneade it, and make cakes vpon the hearth.
7 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.
And Abraham ranne to the beastes, and tooke a tender and good calfe, and gaue it to the seruant, who hasted to make it ready.
8 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.
And he tooke butter and milke, and the calfe, which he had prepared, and set before them, and stoode himselfe by them vnder the tree, and they did eate.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “Over there, inside the tent,” he replied.
Then they saide to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he answered, Beholde, she is in the tent.
10 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.
And he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. and Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old, getting on in years. Sarah was well past the age of having children.
(Nowe Abraham and Sarah were old and striken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the maner of women)
12 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!”
Therefore Sarah laughed within her selfe, saying, After I am waxed olde, and my lord also, shall I haue lust?
13 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?’
And ye Lord saide vnto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah thus laugh, saying, Shall I certainely beare a childe, which am olde?
14 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.”
(Shall any thing be hard to the Lord? at the time appointed will I returne vnto thee, euen according to the time of life, and Sarah shall haue a sonne.)
15 Sarah denied it because she was afraid, claiming, “I didn't laugh.” “Yes, you did laugh,” the Lord replied.
But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not: for she was afraide. And he said, It is not so: for thou laughedst.
16 Then the men left. They looked down on Sodom and headed in that direction. Abraham accompanied them part of the way.
Afterwarde the men did rise vp from thence and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 Then the Lord said, “Should I keep from Abraham what I'm going to do?
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe,
18 Abraham will definitely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
Seeing that Abraham shalbe in deede a great and a mightie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him?
19 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.”
For I knowe him that he will commande his sonnes and his houshold after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, to doe righteousnesse and iudgement, that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him.
20 Then the Lord said, “There are many complaints made against Sodom and Gomorrah because they sin so blatantly.
Then the Lord saide, Because the crie of Sodom and Gomorah is great, and because their sinne is exceeding grieuous,
21 I ‘m going to see if these complaints that have reached me are completely true. I'll know if they're not.”
I will goe downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether according to that crie which is come vnto me: and if not, that I may knowe.
22 The two men turned and went towards Sodom, but the Lord stayed there with Abraham.
And the men turned thence and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord.
23 Abraham came to him and asked: “Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked?
Then Abraham drewe neere, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people there?
If there be fiftie righteous within the citie, wilt thou destroy and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therein?
25 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?”
Be it farre from thee from doing this thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be euen as the wicked, be it farre from thee. shall not the Iudge of all the worlde doe right?
26 “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them,” the Lord replied.
And the Lord answered, If I shall finde in Sodom fiftie righteous within the citie, then will I spare all the place for their sakes.
27 “Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes,” Abraham continued.
Then Abraham answered and said, Behold nowe, I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord, and I am but dust and ashes.
28 “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.
If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous, wilt thou destroy all the citie for fiue? And he saide, If I finde there fiue and fourtie, I will not destroy it.
29 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.
And he yet spake to him againe, and saide, What if there shalbe found fourtie there? Then he answered, I will not doe it for fourties sake.
30 “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.
Againe he said, Let not my Lord nowe be angry, that I speake, What if thirtie be founde there? Then he saide, I will not doe it, if I finde thirtie there.
31 “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.
Moreouer he said, Behold, now I haue begonne to speake vnto my Lord, What if twentie be founde there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for twenties sake.
32 “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.
Then he saide, Let not my Lord be nowe angrie, and I will speake but this once, What if tenne be found there? And he answered, I will not destroy it for tennes sake.
33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.
And the Lord went his way when he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned vnto his place.
