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

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

5 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Then the Lord said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh, saying: 'How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?'

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

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

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

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

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

24 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 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 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 by saying: "Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.

28 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 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."

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

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 18

1And יהוה appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrĕ, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2So he lifted his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing opposite him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

3and said, “יהוה, if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by.

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

5“And let me bring a piece of bread and refresh your hearts, and then go on, for this is why you have come to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have said.”

6So Aḇraham ran into the tent to Sarah and said, “Hurry, make ready three measures of fine flour, knead it and make cakes.”

7And Aḇraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hurried to prepare it.

8And 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 as they ate.

9And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “See, in the tent.”

10And He said, “I shall certainly return to you according to the time of life, and see, Sarah your wife is to have a son!” And Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.

11Now Aḇraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age, and Sarah was past the way of women.

12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old too?”

13And יהוה said to Aḇraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly have a child, since I am old?’

14Is any matter too hard for יהוה? At the appointed time I am going to return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah is to have a son.

15But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

16And the men rose up from there and looked toward Seḏom, and Aḇraham went with them to send them away.

17And יהוה said, “Shall I hide from Aḇraham what I am doing,

18since Aḇraham is certainly going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19“For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of יהוה, to do righteousness and right-ruling, so that יהוה brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.

20And יהוה said, “Because the outcry against Seḏom and Amorah is great, and because their sin is very heavy,

21“I am going down now to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me, and if not, I know.

22So the men turned away from there and went toward Seḏom, but יהוה still stood before Aḇraham.

23And Aḇraham drew near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wrong?

24“Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city, would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

25“Far be it from You to act in this way, to slay the righteous with the wrong, so that the righteous should be as the wrong. Far be it from You! Does the Judge of all the earth not do right?”

26And יהוה said, “If I find in Seḏom fifty righteous within the city, then I shall spare all the place for their sakes.”

27And Aḇraham answered and said, “Look, please, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה,

28Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous, would You destroy all of the city for lack of five? And He said, “If I find there forty-five, I do not destroy it.”

29And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there are found forty?” And He said, “I would not do it for the sake of forty.”

30And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak: Suppose there are found thirty?” And He said, “I would not do it if I find thirty there.”

31And he said, “Look, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to יהוה: Suppose there are found twenty?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32And he said, “Let not יהוה be displeased, and let me speak only this time: Suppose there are found ten?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

33Then יהוה went away as soon as He had ended speaking to Aḇraham. And Aḇraham returned to his place.

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Genesis 18

Berĕshith (Genesis) 18