Genesis 18

1And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

1The LORD appeared to Abraham near the oak trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

2and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

3He said, 'My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant.

4let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

4Let a little water be brought so you can wash your feet and rest under the tree.

5and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

5I will bring some food so you can be refreshed before you continue on your way, now that you have come to your servant.' They replied, 'Do as you have said.'

6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.

6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quickly get three measures of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.'

7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.

7Then Abraham ran to the herd, chose a choice, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

8He took some butter and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set it all before them. While they ate, he stood near them under the tree.

9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

9'Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'There, in the tent,' he replied.

10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

10Then the LORD said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.' Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

11Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of having children.

12And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

12So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'After I am worn out and my husband is old, will I now have this pleasure?'

13And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?

13Then the LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Will I really have a child, now that I am old?"

14Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.

14Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.'

15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

15Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, 'I didn't laugh.' But he said, 'No, you did laugh.'

16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.

17And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do;

17Then the LORD said, 'Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

18seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.'

20And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

20Then the LORD said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so serious

21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.'

22And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.

22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?

23Then Abraham approached him and said: 'Will you actually destroy the righteous people along with the wicked?

24Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked the same. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?'

26And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.

26The LORD said, 'If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.'

27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:

27Then Abraham spoke up again: 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,

28peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.

28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?' 'If I find forty-five there,' he said, 'I will not destroy it.'

29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty’s sake.

29Once again he spoke to him, 'What if only forty are found there?' He said, 'For the sake of forty, I will not do it.'

30And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

30Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty are found there?' He answered, 'I will not do it if I find thirty there.'

31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.

31Abraham said, 'Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?' He said, 'For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.'

32And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.

32Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just one more time. What if only ten are found there?' He answered, 'For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.'

33And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.