BERĔSHITH 18 (Genesis 18)

1  And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrĕ, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing opposite him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

3 and said, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by.

4 “Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 “And let me bring a piece of bread and refresh your hearts, and then go on, for this is why you have come to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have said.”

6 So Aḇraham ran into the tent to Sarah and said, “Hurry, make ready three se’im of fine flour, knead it and make cakes.”

7 And Aḇraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hurried to prepare it.

8 And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and put it before them, and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

9 And they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “See, in the tent.”

10 And He said, “I shall certainly return to you according to the time of life, and see, Sarah your wife is to have a son!” And Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.

11 Now Aḇraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age, and Sarah was past the way of women.

12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my master being old too?”

13 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Aḇraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I truly have a child, since I am old?’

14 “Is any matter too hard for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄? At the appointed time I am going to return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah is to have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

16 And the men rose up from there and looked toward Seḏom, and Aḇraham went with them to send them away.

17 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said, “Shall I hide from Aḇraham what I am doing,

18 since Aḇraham is certainly going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be baraḵ in him?

19 “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the Way of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to do righteousness and Right-Ruling, so that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”

20 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said, “Because the outcry against Seḏom and Amorah is great, and because their sin is very heavy,

21 “I am going down now to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me, and if not, I know.”

22 So the men turned away from there and went toward Seḏom, but Aḇraham still stood before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

23 And Aḇraham drew near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city, would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?

25 “Far be it from You to act in this way, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked. Far be it from You! Does the Judge of all the earth not do right?”

26 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said, “If I find in Seḏom fifty righteous within the city, then I shall spare all the place for their sakes.”

27 And Aḇraham answered and said, “Look, please, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,

28 “Suppose there are five less than the fifty righteous, would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” And He said, “If I find there forty-five, I do not destroy it.”

29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there are found forty?” And He said, “I would not do it for the sake of forty.”

30 And he said, “Let not 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 be displeased, and let me speak: Suppose there are found thirty?” And He said, “I would not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Look, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: Suppose there are found twenty?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

32 And he said, “Let not 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 be displeased, and let me speak only this time: Suppose there are found ten?” And He said, “I would not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

33 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 went away as soon as He had ended speaking to Aḇraham. And Aḇraham returned to his place.