Genesis 18

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei.	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 Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum : quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.	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 Et dixit : Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum :	3 he said: "Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant.
4 sed afferam pauxillum aquæ, et lavate pedes vestros, et requiescite sub arbore.	4 Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree.
5 Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortate cor vestrum : postea transibitis : idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. Qui dixerunt : Fac ut locutus es.	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 Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei : Accelera, tria sata similæ commisce, et fac subcinericios panes.	6 Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, "Quick, three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
7 Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero : qui festinavit et coxit illum.	7 He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
8 Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis : ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore.	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 Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum : Ubi est Sara uxor tua ? Ille respondit : Ecce in tabernaculo est.	9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There in the tent," he replied.
10 Cui dixit : Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.	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 Erant autem ambo senes, provectæque ætatis, et desierant Saræ fieri muliebria.	11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
12 Quæ risit occulte dicens : Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo ?	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 Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham : Quare risit Sara, dicens : Num vere paritura sum anus ?	13 But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'
14 Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile ? juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium.	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 Negavit Sara, dicens : Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem : Non est, inquit, ita : sed risisti.	15 Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh." But he said, "Yes you did."
16 Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam : et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.	16 The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom; Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
17 Dixitque Dominus : Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum :	17 The LORD reflected: "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ ?	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 Scio enim quod præcepturus sit filiis suis, et domui suæ post se ut custodiant viam Domini, et faciant judicium et justitiam : ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quæ locutus est ad eum.	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 Dixit itaque Dominus : Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhæ multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.	20 Then the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave,
21 Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint ; an non est ita, ut sciam.	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 Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam : Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino.	22 While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
23 Et appropinquans ait : Numquid perdes justum cum impio ?	23 Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
24 si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate, peribunt simul ? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos, si fuerint in eo ?	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 Absit a te ut rem hanc facias, et occidas justum cum impio, fiatque justus sicut impius, non est hoc tuum : qui judicas omnem terram, nequaquam facies judicium hoc.	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 Dixitque Dominus ad eum : Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos.	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 Respondensque Abraham, ait : Quia semel c?pi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.	27 Abraham spoke up again: "See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes!
28 Quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint ? delebis, propter quadraginta quinque, universam urbem ? Et ait : Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque.	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 Rursumque locutus est ad eum : Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies ? Ait : Non percutiam propter quadraginta.	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 Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris, Domine, si loquar : quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta ? Respondit : Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.	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 Quia semel, ait, c?pi loquar ad Dominum meum : quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti ? Ait : Non interficiam propter viginti.	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 Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris, Domine, si loquar adhuc semel : quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem ? Et dixit : Non delebo propter decem.	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 Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham : et ille reversus est in locum suum.	33 The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.