Genesis 18

**Caput 18**

Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei. And the Lord appeared to him in the valley of Mambre, sitting at the door of his tent in the very heat of the day. Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum : quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram. And when he lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of the tabernacle, and prostrated himself on the ground. Et dixit: Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum : sed afferam pauxillum aquæ, et lavate pedes vestros, et requiescite sub arbore. And he said: Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not let your servant pass: but I will bring a little water, and wash your feet, and rest under the tree. Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortate cor vestrum : postea transibitis : idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. And put a morsel of bread, and strengthen your heart: afterwards you will pass over: for that is why you turned away from your servant. Qui dixerunt: Fac ut locutus es. They said: Do as you have said. Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei: Accelera, tria sata similæ commisce, et fac subcinericios panes. Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said to her: Make haste, mix three similar grains, and make brown loaves. Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero : qui festinavit et coxit illum. But he himself ran to the herd, and took from it the tenderest and best calf, and gave it to the boy, who hastened and cooked it. Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis : ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore. He also took butter and milk, and the calf which he had cooked, and set it before them: but he himself was standing beside them under the tree.

Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum: Ubi est Sara uxor tua? Ille respondit: Ecce in tabernaculo est. Cui dixit: Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. He said to him: I will come back to you at this time, count on your life, and Sarah your wife will have a son. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi. Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent. Erant autem ambo senes, provectæque ætatis, et desierant Saræ fieri muliebria. Now they were both old and advanced in age, and Sarah had ceased to be a woman. Quæ risit occulte dicens: Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo? She laughed secretly, saying: After I have agreed, and my master is an old man, shall I devote myself to pleasure? Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham: Quare risit Sara, dicens: Num vere paritura sum anus? And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah laugh, saying: Am I really old to give birth? Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile? Is anything difficult for God? juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium. according to the agreement, I will return to you at this same time, life counts, and Sarah will have a son. Negavit Sara, dicens: Non risi, timore perterrita. Sarah refused, saying: I did not laugh, I was terrified with fear. Dominus autem: Non est, inquit, ita: sed risisti. And the Lord said: It is not so: but you laughed.

Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam : et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos. When then the men had risen from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham was walking together, leading them. Dixitque Dominus: Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum : cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ? And the Lord said: Shall I be able to conceal from Abraham what I am about to bear: since he will become a great and most robust nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 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. For I know that he will command his sons and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord, and to do judgment and justice: that the Lord may bring forth for Abraham all that he spoke to him. Dixit itaque Dominus: Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhæ multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis. And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied, and their sin is greatly aggravated. Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint; an non est ita, ut sciam. I will go down and see whether they have fulfilled the cry that comes to me with work; whether it is not so, that I may know. Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam : Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino. And they turned from thence, and went to Sodom: but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Et appropinquans ait: Numquid perdes justum cum impio? And approaching, he said: Will you destroy the just with the wicked? si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate, peribunt simul? if there are fifty righteous in the city, will they perish together? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos, si fuerint in eo? and are they not spared in that place on account of the fifty thousand, if they were in it? 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. Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the righteous with the wicked, and let the righteous be like the wicked; this is not yours: you who judge the whole earth, you will by no means do this judgment. Dixitque Dominus ad eum: Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos. And the Lord said to him: If I find fifty thousand in Sodom in the midst of the city, I will let them go everywhere because of them. Respondensque Abraham, ait: Quia semel coepi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis. And Abraham answered and said: Because I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord when I am dust and ashes. Quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint? What if there were only five less than fifty? delebis, propter quadraginta quinque, universam urbem? will you destroy the whole city for the sake of forty-five? Et ait: Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque. And he said: I will not destroy if I find forty-five there. Rursumque locutus est ad eum : Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies? And he spoke again to him: But if forty are found there, what will you do? Ait : Non percutiam propter quadraginta. He said: I will not strike because of the forty. Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris, Domine, si loquar : quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta? I beg you, says he, not to be indignant, Lord, if I speak: what if thirty were found there? Respondit : Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta. He answered: I will not do it if I find there thirty. Quia semel, ait, coepi loquar ad Dominum meum : quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti? Because once, he said, I began to speak to my Lord: what if twenty were found there? Ait: Non interficiam propter viginti. He said: I will not kill for twenty. Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris, Domine, si loquar adhuc semel : quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem? I beg you, says he, not to be angry, Lord, if I speak once more: what if ten were found there? Et dixit: Non delebo propter decem. Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham : et ille reversus est in locum suum. And the Lord departed, after he had ceased to speak to Abraham: and he returned to his place.