Genesis 18

¹Then 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.

²And 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.

³And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.

⁴But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.

⁵And 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.”

⁶Abraham 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.”

⁷In 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.

⁸Likewise, 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.

⁹And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹²And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”

¹³Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’

¹⁴Is 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.”

¹⁵Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”

¹⁶Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.

¹⁷And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,

¹⁸since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?

¹⁹For 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.”

²⁰And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.

²¹I 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.”

²²And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.

²³And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?

²⁴If 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?

²⁵Far 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.”

²⁶And 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.”

²⁷And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.

²⁸What 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.”

²⁹And 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“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“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“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.”

³³And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.

Genesis 18

¹And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.

²And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.

³And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant.

⁴But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.

⁵And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.

⁶Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.

⁷And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it.

⁸He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.

⁹And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo she is in the tent.

¹⁰And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.

¹¹Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.

¹²And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?

¹³And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?

¹⁴Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.

¹⁵Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.

¹⁶And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.

¹⁷And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:

¹⁸Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?

¹⁹For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.

²⁰And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.

²¹I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.

²²And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.

²³And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?

²⁴If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?

²⁵Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.

²⁶And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

²⁷And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.

²⁸What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.

²⁹And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.

³⁰Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

³¹Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord: What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

³²I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.

³³And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.