Genesis 18

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;	1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot.
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,	2 Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:	3 he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant.
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:	4 Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree.
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.	5 Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way." "Very well," they replied, "do as you have said."
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.	6 Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, "Quick, three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.	7 He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.	8 Then he got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.	9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There in the tent," he replied.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.	10 One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.	11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?	12 So Sarah laughed to herself and said, "Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?"
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?	13 But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.	14 Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son."
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.	15 Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh." But he said, "Yes you did."
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.	16 The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom; Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;	17 The LORD reflected: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?	18 now that he is to become a great and populous nation, and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.	19 Indeed, I have singled him out that he may direct his sons and his posterity to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham the promises he made about him."
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;	20 Then the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave,
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.	21 that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out."
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.	22 While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?	23 Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?	24 Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?	25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.	26 The LORD replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:	27 Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes!
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.	28 What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?" "I will not destroy it," he answered, "if I find forty-five there."
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.	29 But Abraham persisted, saying, "What if only forty are found there?" He replied, "I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty."
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.	30 Then he said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will forebear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.	31 Still he went on, "Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?" "I will not destroy it," he answered, "for the sake of the twenty."
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.	32 But he still persisted: "Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?" "For the sake of those ten," he replied, "I will not destroy it."
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.	33 The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.