Genesis 18
1 And Yahweh appeared unto him among the oaks of Mamre, —as, he, was sitting at the opening of the tent in the heat of the day.
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.
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! three men, standing over against him, —so he looked and ran to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bowed himself to the earth;
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.
3 and said, —O My Lord! if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, do not I pray thee pass on from thy servant.
And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
4 Let there be fetched, I pray thee a little water, and bathe ye your feet, —and rest yourselves under the tree.
But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.
5 And let me fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart, Afterwards, ye may pass on, For on this account, have ye passed by, over against your servant. And they said, Thus, shalt thou do as thou hast spoken.
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.”
6 So Abraham hastened towards the tent unto Sarah, —and said, Hasten thou three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make hearth-cakes.
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.”
7 And unto the herd, ran Abraham, —and took a calf tender and good and gave unto the young man, and he hastened to make it ready.
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.
8 And he took butter and milk and the calf that he had made ready, and set before them, —while, he, was standing near them under the tree, they did eat.
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.
9 And they said unto him, As to Sarah thy wife… And he said Lo! [she is] in the tent.
And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
10 And he said, I will, surely return, unto thee at the quickening season, —and lo! a son for Sarah thy wife. Now Sarah, was hearkening at the opening of the tent, it, being behind him.
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.
11 But Abraham and Sarah, were old, far gone in days, —it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
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.
12 So then Sarah laughed within herself, saying: After I am past age, hath there come to me pleasure, my lord, also being old?
And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”
13 And Yahweh said unto Abraham, —Wherefore now did Sarah laugh saying. Can it really and truly be that I should bear, seeing that I have become old?
Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
14 Is anything, too wonderful for Yahweh? At the appointed time, I will return unto thee, at the quickening season and Sarah, shall have a son.
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.”
15 And Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not, For she was afraid. And he said—Nay! but thou didst laugh!
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.”
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked out over the face of Sodom, —Abraham also going with them to set them on their way.
Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
17 Now, Yahweh, had said, —Am I going to hide from Abraham what I do,
And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
18 when, Abraham, shall surely become, a great and mighty nation, —and all the nations of the earth, shall be blessed in him?
since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
19 For I have become his intimate friend, To the end that he may command his sons and his house after him, so shall they keep the way of Yahweh, by doing righteousness and justice. To the end that Yahweh may bring in for Abraham, what he hath spoken concerning him.
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.”
20 So Yahweh said, The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it hath become great, —And their sin, because it hath become exceeding grievous,
And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
21 Let me go down, pray, and let me behold, whether according to their outcry which hath come in unto me, they have done altogether, And if not. I must know!
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.”
22 And the men turned from thence, and went their way, towards Sodom, —but, Yahweh was yet standing before Abraham.
And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.
23 So then Abraham drew near and said, Wilt thou really sweep away, the righteous with the lawless?
And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous, in the midst of the city, Wilt thou really sweep away, and not spare the place, for the sake of the fifty righteous which are therein?
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?
25 Far be it from thee! to do after this manner. to put to death the righteous with the lawless! Then should righteous and lawless be alike, Far be it from thee! Shall, the Judge of all the earth not do justice?
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.”
26 And Yahweh said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then will I spare all the place for their sake.
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.”
27 And Abraham responded and said, —Behold I pray thee I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, though I am dust and ashes:
And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.
28 Peradventure there may lack, of the fifty righteous, five, Wilt thou destroy for five all the city? And he said, I will not destroy, if I find there forty and five.
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.”
29 And he added, yet once more, to speak unto him, and said, Peradventure there may be found there—forty. And he said—I will not do it, for the sake of the forty.
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.”
30 And he said Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak, Peradventure there may be found there—thirty And he said, I will not to it, if I find there—thirty.
“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.”
31 And he said Behold, I pray thee, I have ventured to speak unto My Lord, Peradventure there may be found there—twenty. And he said I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.
“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.”
32 And he said, Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak only this once, Peradventure there may be found there—ten. And he said, I will not destroy [it], for the sake of the ten!
“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.”
33 And Yahweh went his way, when he had made an end. of speaking unto Abraham, —Abraham, also returned to his place.
And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.
