Genesis 18

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when 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.	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 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.	3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.
4 Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.	4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest 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 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 to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and makeloaves.'	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 Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurriedto prepare it.	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 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 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 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.	9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”
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 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 Abraham and Sarah were old, wel on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthlyperiods.	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 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 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 But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I real y going to have a child nowthat I am old?"	13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’
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 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 said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'	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 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them tospeed them on their way.	16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.
17 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,	17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,
18 as Abraham wil become a great and powerful nation and al nations on earth wil bless themselvesby him?	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 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 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 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,	20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.
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 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 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.	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 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Wil you really destroy the upright with the guilty?	23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?
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 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 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 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 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I wil spare the whole placebecause of them.'	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 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust andashes:	27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am 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 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 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 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 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 “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 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 “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 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 “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 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.	33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.