Liber Genesis, 18

1. apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei

1. and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?

2. cumque elevasset oculos apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes propter eum quos cum vidisset cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi et adoravit in terra

2. And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near 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.

3. et dixit Domine si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis ne transeas servum tuum

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

4. sed adferam pauxillum aquæ et lavate pedes vestros et requiescite sub arbore

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

5. ponam buccellam panis et confortate cor vestrum postea transibitis idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum qui dixerunt fac ut locutus es

5. And 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.

6. festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Sarram dixitque ei adcelera tria sata similæ commisce et fac subcinericios panes

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

7. ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum deditque puero qui festinavit et coxit illum

7. And 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.

8. tulit quoque butyrum et lac et vitulum quem coxerat et posuit coram eis ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore

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

9. cumque comedissent dixerunt ad eum ubi est Sarra uxor tua ille respondit ecce in tabernaculo est

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

10. cui dixit revertens veniam ad te tempore isto vita comite et habebit filium Sarra uxor tua quo audito Sarra risit post ostium tabernaculi

10. And 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.

11. erant autem ambo senes provectæque ætatis et desierant Sarræ fieri muliebria

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

12. quæ risit occulte dicens postquam consenui et dominus meus vetulus est voluptati operam dabo

12. And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old

13. dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham quare risit Sarra dicens num vere paritura sum anus

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

14. numquid Deo est quicquam difficile juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore vita comite et habebit Sarra filium

14. Is 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.

15. negavit Sarra dicens non risi timore perterrita Dominus autem non est inquit ita sed risisti

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

16. cum ergo surrexissent inde viri direxerunt oculos suos contra Sodomam et Abraham simul gradiebatur deducens eos

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

17. dixitque Dominus num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum

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

18. cum futurus sit in gentem magnam ac robustissimam et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ

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

19. scio enim quod præcepturus sit filiis suis et domui suæ post se ut custodiant viam Domini et faciant justitiam et judicium ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quæ locutus est ad eum

19. For 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.

20. dixit itaque Dominus clamor Sodomorum et Gomorræ multiplicatus est et peccatum earum adgravatum est nimis

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

21. descendam et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me opere conpleverint an non est ita ut sciam

21. I 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.

22. converteruntque se inde et abierunt Sodomam Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino

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

23. et adpropinquans ait numquid perdes justum cum impio

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

24. si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate peribunt simul et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos si fuerint in eo

24. If 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?

25. absit a te ut rem hanc facias et occidas justum cum impio fiatque justus sicut impius non est hoc tuum qui judicas omnem terram nequaquam facies judicium

25. Far 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.

26. dixitque Dominus ad eum si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis dimittam omni loco propter eos

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

27. respondens Abraham ait quia semel cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum cum sim pulvis et cinis

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

28. quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint delebis propter quinque universam urbem et ait non delebo si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque

28. What if there be Ave 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.

29. rursumque locutus est ad eum sin autem quadraginta inventi fuerint quid facies ait non percutiam propter quadraginta

29. And 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.

30. ne quæso inquit indigneris Domine si loquar quid si inventi fuerint ibi triginta respondit non faciam si invenero ibi triginta

30. Lord, 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 And thirty there.

31. quia semel ait cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum quid si inventi fuerint ibi viginti dixit non interficiam propter viginti

31. Seeing, 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.

32. obsecro inquit ne irascaris Domine si loquar adhuc semel quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem dixit non delebo propter decem

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

33. abiit Dominus postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham et ille reversus est in locum suum

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