Genesis 18

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent duringthe hottest part of the day.	1 And 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.
2 He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran fromthe entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground.
3 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.	3 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.
4 Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.	4 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:
5 Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you havecome in your servant's direction.' They replied, 'Do as you say.'	5 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
6 Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and makeloaves.'	6 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.
7 Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurriedto prepare it.	7 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.
8 Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid al before them, and they atewhile he remained standing near them under the tree.	8 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.
9 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.	9 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.
10 Then his guest said, 'I shal 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 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, wel on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthlyperiods.	11 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.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of childbearing, and my husbandis an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?'	12 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
13 But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I real y going to have a child nowthat I am old?"	13 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old
14 Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shal come back to you at the same time next year and Sarahwil have a son.'	14 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sera laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed ?
15 Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'	15 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.
16 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them tospeed them on their way.	16 Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:
17 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,	17 And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
18 as Abraham wil become a great and powerful nation and al nations on earth wil bless themselvesby him?	18 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
19 For I have singled him out to command his sons and his family after him to keep the way of Yahwehby doing what is upright and just, so that Yahweh can carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.'	19 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
20 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,	20 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.
21 that I shal go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me wouldsuggest. Then I shal know.'	21 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
22 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.	22 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.
23 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Wil you really destroy the upright with the guilty?	23 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
24 Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Wil you really destroy it? Wil you not spare theplace for the sake of the fifty upright in it?	24 And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
25 Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guiltyfare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'	25 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?
26 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I wil spare the whole placebecause of them.'	26 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.
27 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust andashes:	27 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.
28 Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' hereplied, 'I shal not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'	28 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
29 Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shal not do it,' he replied,'for the sake of the forty.'	29 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.
30 Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord wil not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be foundthere?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'	30 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.
31 He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shallnot destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'	31 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.
32 He said, 'I trust my Lord wil not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there wil only be ten.' 'I shalnot destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'	32 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.
33 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.	33 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.