Genesis 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 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 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.	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 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.	3 he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past 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 some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree.
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 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 Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and makeloaves.'	6 Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, "Quick, three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
7 Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurriedto prepare it.	7 He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
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 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 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.	9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There in the tent," he replied.
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 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, wel on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthlyperiods.	11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
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 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 But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I real y going to have a child nowthat I 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 Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shal come back to you at the same time next year and Sarahwil 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 Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'	15 Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh." But he said, "Yes you did."
16 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them tospeed them on their 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 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,	17 The LORD reflected: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 as Abraham wil become a great and powerful nation and al nations on earth wil bless themselvesby 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 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 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 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,	20 Then the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave,
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 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 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.	22 While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
23 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Wil you really destroy the upright with the guilty?	23 Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
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 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 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 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 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I wil spare the whole placebecause of them.'	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 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust andashes:	27 Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes!
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.	33 The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.