Genesis, 18

1. Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day.

1. And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

2. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground.

2. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,

3. 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.

3. and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

4. Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.

4. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,

5. Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you have come in your servant's direction.' They replied, 'Do as you say.'

5. while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on -- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."

6. Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and make loaves.'

6. And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."

7. Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it.

7. And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.

8. Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.

8. Then he took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9. 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.

9. They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent."

10. Then his guest said, 'I shall come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.' Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

10. The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods.

11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?'

12. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?"

13. But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?"

13. The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, `Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'

14. Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shall come back to you at the same time next year and Sarah will have a son.'

14. Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and Sarah shall have a son."

15. Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'

15. But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

16. From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them to speed them on their way.

16. Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way.

17. Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,

17. The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

18. as Abraham will become a great and powerful nation and all nations on earth will bless themselves by him?

18. seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by him?

19. For I have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'

19. No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."

20. Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,

20. Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomor'rah is great and their sin is very grave,

21. that I shall go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me would suggest. Then I shall know.'

21. I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know."

22. While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.

22. So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

23. Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Will you really destroy the upright with the guilty?

23. Then Abraham drew near, and said, "Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24. Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty upright in it?

24. Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

25. Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guilty fare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'

25. Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

26. Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place because of them.'

26. And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

27. Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust and ashes:

27. Abraham answered, "Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

28. Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' he replied, 'I shall not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'

28. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Wilt thou destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

29. Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the forty.'

29. Again he spoke to him, and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it."

30. Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord will not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'

30. Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

31. He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'

31. He said, "Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."

32. He said, 'I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'

32. Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."

33. When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.

33. And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.