Genesis 18

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	BIBLES DES PEUPLES
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.	1 Yahvé apparut à Abraham près du chêne de Mambré. Il était alors assis à l’entrée de sa tente, au plus chaud du jour:
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.	2 quand il leva les yeux, il y avait trois hommes debout non loin de lui. Dès qu’il les vit, il courut vers eux de l’entrée de sa tente et il se prosterna.
3 And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.	3 Il dit: “Mon Seigneur, si j’ai trouvé grâce à tes yeux, ne passe pas sans t’arrêter!
4 But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.	4 Qu’on apporte de l’eau! Vous vous laverez les pieds et vous vous étendrez sous l’arbre.
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.”	5 Je vais chercher un morceau de pain, vous vous remettrez et ensuite vous reprendrez votre route: c’est bien pour cela que vous êtes venus vers votre serviteur.” Ils lui dirent alors: “Fais comme tu le dis.”
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.”	6 Abraham courut à la tente près de Sara et lui dit: “Vite! Trois mesures de belle farine, pétris-la et fais des galettes!”
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.	7 Abraham courut ensuite vers le troupeau, il prit un veau tendre et bon, il le donna au serviteur et celui-ci se dépêcha de le préparer.
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.	8 Il prit du lait caillé, du lait, le veau qu’on avait préparé, et il mit le tout devant eux. Pendant qu’ils mangeaient, lui se tenait debout près d’eux sous l’arbre.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”	9 Ils lui dirent: “Où est Sara, ta femme?” Il répondit: “Elle est dans la tente.”
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.	10 Yahvé dit: “Je reviendrai vers toi à la même époque, et alors Sara, ta femme, aura un fils.” Sara écoutait à l’entrée de la tente et se trouvait derrière lui.
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.	11 Abraham et Sara étaient vieux, avancés en âge, et Sara avait cessé d’avoir ce qui arrive aux femmes.
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?”	12 Alors Sara rit en elle-même et se dit: “Maintenant que je suis usée, vais-je encore faire l’amour avec mon mari qui est si vieux?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’	13 Yahvé dit à Abraham: “Pourquoi Sara a-t-elle ri en disant: Je suis bien trop vieille pour avoir un enfant!
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.”	14 Y a-t-il quelque chose d’impossible à Yahvé? L’an prochain, à cette même époque, je reviendrai vers toi et Sara aura un fils.”
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.”	15 Sara nia et dit: “Je n’ai pas ri”, car elle avait peur. Mais il lui dit: “Si, tu as ri!”
16 Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.	16 Les hommes se levèrent et se dirigèrent du côté de Sodome; Abraham marchait avec eux pour les reconduire.
17 And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,	17 Yahvé dit alors: “Je ne peux pas cacher à Abraham ce que je vais faire.
18 since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?	18 Abraham en effet va devenir une nation grande et puissante, c’est en lui que seront bénies toutes les nations de la terre.
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.”	19 “Je l’ai choisi pour qu’il ordonne à ses fils et à sa descendance après lui de suivre le chemin de Yahvé en pratiquant la justice et le droit: ainsi Yahvé réalisera pour Abraham ce qu’il lui a promis.”
20 And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.	20 Alors Yahvé dit: “Comme il est grand le cri qui s’élève contre Sodome et Gomorrhe! Comme leur péché est grave!
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.”	21 Je vais descendre et voir si vraiment ils ont fait tout ce qui remonte jusqu’à moi, et qui crie contre eux. S’il n’en est pas ainsi, je le saurai bien.”
22 And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.	22 Les hommes partirent de là et se dirigèrent vers Sodome, mais Yahvé se tenait encore debout devant Abraham.
23 And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?	23 Abraham vint à lui: “Vraiment! Vas-tu faire mourir le juste avec le méchant?
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?	24 Peut-être y a-t-il cinquante justes dans la ville: vas-tu détruire et ne pas pardonner à la ville à cause de ces cinquante justes?
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.”	25 Tu ne peux pas agir de cette façon-là: faire mourir le juste avec le méchant, traiter le juste comme le méchant. Non! Tu ne peux pas! Est-ce que Celui qui juge toute la terre ne pratiquerait plus la justice?”
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.”	26 Yahvé dit: “Si je trouve cinquante justes parmi les habitants de Sodome, je pardonnerai à toute la ville à cause d’eux.”
27 And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.	27 Abraham reprit: “Quelle audace ai-je eue de parler à mon Seigneur, moi qui ne suis que poussière et cendre.
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.”	28 Peut-être manquera-t-il cinq justes pour en avoir cinquante: s’il en manquait cinq, détruirais-tu toute la ville?” Yahvé répondit: “Je ne détruirai pas la ville si je trouve quarante-cinq justes.”
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.”	29 Abraham reprit: “Peut-être n’y en aura-t-il que quarante!” Yahvé répondit: “Je ne détruirai pas s’il y en a quarante.”
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.”	30 Abraham insista: “Que mon Seigneur ne se mette pas en colère si je parle encore. Peut-être ne s’en trouvera-t-il que trente!” Yahvé répondit: “Je ne détruirai pas si j’y trouve les trente.”
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.”	31 Abraham répondit: “Quelle audace ai-je encore de parler à mon Seigneur! Peut-être n’y en aura-t-il que vingt!” Yahvé répondit: “Pour vingt, je ne détruirais pas.”
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.”	32 Abraham dit: “Que mon Seigneur ne se mette pas en colère, je ne parlerai plus qu’une seule fois: peut-être n’y aura-t-il que dix justes!” Yahvé répondit: “Rien que pour ces dix, je ne détruirais pas.”
33 And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.	33 Quand il eut fini de parler avec Abraham, Yahvé s’en alla, et Abraham retourna chez lui.