The Three Visitors 1 DRA And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day. BSB BSB: Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
2 DRA And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: and as soon as he saw them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground. BSB BSB: And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 DRA And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant: BSB BSB: “My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
4 DRA But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree. BSB BSB: Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
5 DRA And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken. BSB BSB: And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”
6 DRA Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth. BSB BSB: So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
7 DRA And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man: who made haste and boiled it. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8 DRA He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree. BSB BSB: Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
Sarah Laughs at the Promise 9 DRA And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent. BSB BSB: “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.
10 DRA And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
11 DRA Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women. BSB BSB: And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12 DRA And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure? BSB BSB: So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 DRA And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed? BSB BSB: And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’
14 DRA Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son. BSB BSB: Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
15 DRA Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh: BSB BSB: But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied the LORD, “but you did laugh.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom 16 DRA And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way. BSB BSB: When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
17 DRA And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do: BSB BSB: And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
18 DRA Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed? BSB BSB: Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
19 DRA For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham’s sake the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him. BSB BSB: For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
20 DRA And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
21 DRA I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me: or whether it be not so, that I may know. BSB BSB: I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”
23 DRA And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked? BSB BSB: Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 DRA If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein? BSB BSB: What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there?
26 DRA And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. BSB BSB: So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
27 DRA And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes. BSB BSB: Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
28 DRA What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty. BSB BSB: suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
29 DRA And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty. BSB BSB: Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
30 DRA Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there. BSB BSB: Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
31 DRA Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. BSB BSB: And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 DRA I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. BSB BSB: Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”
33 DRA And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place. BSB BSB: When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.