Genesis 18

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.	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.
2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,	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 and said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.	3 'My lord,' he said, 'if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by.
4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,	4 Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree.
5 while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on--since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."	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.'
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."	6 Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Quick, knead three measures of best flour and makeloaves.'
7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.	7 Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurriedto prepare it.
8 Then 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 while they ate.	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.
9 They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent."	9 'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'She is in the tent,' he replied.
10 The LORD said, "I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.	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.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.	11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, wel on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthlyperiods.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?"	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?'
13 The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'	13 But Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I real y going to have a child nowthat I am old?"
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and Sarah shall have a son."	14 Nothing is impossible for Yahweh. I shal come back to you at the same time next year and Sarahwil have a son.'
15 But Sarah denied, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."	15 Sarah said, 'I did not laugh,' lying because she was afraid. But he replied, 'Oh yes, you did laugh.'
16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way.	16 From there the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them tospeed them on their way.
17 The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,	17 Now Yahweh had wondered, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do,
18 seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by him?	18 as Abraham wil become a great and powerful nation and al nations on earth wil bless themselvesby him?
19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised 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.'
20 Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,	20 Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,
21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know."	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.'
22 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham still stood before the LORD.	22 While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.
23 Then Abraham drew near, and said, "Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked?	23 Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Wil you really destroy the upright with the guilty?
24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?	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?
25 Far be it from thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"	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?'
26 And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."	26 Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I wil spare the whole placebecause of them.'
27 Abraham answered, "Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.	27 Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust andashes:
28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Wilt thou destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."	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.'
29 Again he spoke to him, and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it."	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.'
30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."	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.'
31 He said, "Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."	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.'
32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."	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.'
33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.	33 When he had finished talking to Abraham Yahweh went away, and Abraham returned home.