创世纪 18

1And 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.

2And 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.

3And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:

4But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.

5And 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.

6Abraham 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.

7And 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.

8He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.

9And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo, she is in the tent.

10And 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.

11Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.

12And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?

13And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I who am an old woman bear a child indeed?

14Is 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.

15Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said, Nay: but thou didst laugh:

16And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.

17And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:

18Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?

19For 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.

20And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.

21I 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.

22And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.

23And drawing nigh he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?

24If 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?

25Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked, this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.

26And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

27And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.

28What 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.

29And 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.

30Lord, 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.

31Seeing, 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.

32I 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.

33And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.

1Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei.

2Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum: quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.

3Et dixit: Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum:

4sed afferam pauxillum aquæ, et lavate pedes vestros, et requiescite sub arbore.

5Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortate cor vestrum: postea transibitis: idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. Qui dixerunt: Fac ut locutus es.

6Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei: Accelera, tria sata similæ commisce, et fac subcinericios panes.

7Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero: qui festinavit et coxit illum.

8Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis: ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore.

9Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum: Ubi est Sara uxor tua? Ille respondit: Ecce in tabernaculo est.

10Cui dixit: Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.

11Erant autem ambo senes, provectæque ætatis, et desierant Saræ fieri muliebria.

12Quæ risit occulte dicens: Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo?

13Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham: Quare risit Sara, dicens: Num vere paritura sum anus?

14Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile? juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium.

15Negavit Sara, dicens: Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem: Non est, inquit, ita: sed risisti.

16Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam: et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.

17Dixitque Dominus: Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum:

18cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ?

19Scio 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.

20Dixit itaque Dominus: Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhæ multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.

21Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint; an non est ita, ut sciam.

22Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam: Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino.

23Et appropinquans ait: Numquid perdes justum cum impio?

24si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate, peribunt simul? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos, si fuerint in eo?

25Absit 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.

26Dixitque Dominus ad eum: Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos.

27Respondensque Abraham, ait: Quia semel cœpi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.

28Quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint? delebis, propter quadraginta quinque, universam urbem? Et ait: Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque.

29Rursumque locutus est ad eum: Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies? Ait: Non percutiam propter quadraginta.

30Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris, Domine, si loquar: quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta? Respondit: Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.

31Quia semel, ait, cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum: quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti? Ait: Non interficiam propter viginti.

32Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris, Domine, si loquar adhuc semel: quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem? Et dixit: Non delebo propter decem.

33Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham: et ille reversus est in locum suum.

1Then the Lord appeared to him, in the steep valley of Mamre, when he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.

2And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men, standing near him. When he had seen them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and he reverenced them on the ground.

3And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.

4But I will bring a little water, and you may wash your feet and rest under the tree.

5And I will set out a meal of bread, so that you may strengthen your heart; after this you will pass on. It is for this reason that you have turned aside to your servant.” And they said, “Do as you have spoken.”

6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and he said to her, “Quickly, mix together three measures of the finest wheat flour and make loaves baked under the ashes.”

7In truth, he himself ran to the herd, and he took a calf from there, very tender and very good, and he gave it to a servant, who hurried and boiled it.

8Likewise, he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and he placed it before them. Yet truly, he himself stood near them under the tree.

9And when they had eaten, they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He answered, “Behold, she is in the tent.”

10And he said to him, “When returning, I will come to you at this time, with life as a companion, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Hearing this, Sarah laughed behind the door of the tent.

11Now they were both old, and in an advanced state of life, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12And she laughed secretly, saying, “After I have grown old, and my lord is elderly, shall I give myself to the work of delight?”

13Then the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh, saying: ‘How can I, an old woman, actually give birth?’

14Is anything difficult for God? According to the announcement, he will return to you at this same time, with life as a companion, and Sarah will have a son.”

15Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh.” For she was terribly afraid. But the Lord said, “It is not so; for you did laugh.”

16Therefore, when the men had risen up from there, they directed their eyes against Sodom. And Abraham traveled with them, leading them.

17And the Lord said: “How could I hide what I am about to do from Abraham,

18since he will become a great and very robust nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?

19For I know that he will instruct his sons, and his household after him, to keep to the way of the Lord, and to act with judgment and justice, so that, for the sake of Abraham, the Lord may bring about all the things that he has spoken to him.”

20And so the Lord said, “The outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sin has become exceedingly grievous.

21I will descend and see whether they have fulfilled the work of the outcry that has reached me, or whether it is not so, in order that I may know.”

22And they turned themselves from there, and they went toward Sodom. Yet in truth, Abraham still stood in the sight of the Lord.

23And as they drew near, he said: “Will you destroy the just with the impious?

24If there were fifty of the just in the city, will they perish with the rest? And will you not spare that place for the sake of fifty of the just, if they were in it?

25Far be it from you to do this thing, and to kill the just with the impious, and for the just to be treated like the impious. No, this is not like you. You judge all the earth; you would never make such a judgment.”

26And the Lord said to him, “If I find in Sodom fifty of the just in the midst of the city, I will release the entire place because of them.”

27And Abraham responded by saying: “Since now I have begun, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.

28What if there were five less than fifty of the just? Would you, despite the forty-five, eliminate the entire city?” And he said, “I will not eliminate it, if I find forty-five there.”

29And again he said to him, “But if forty were found there, what would you do?” He said, “I will not strike, for the sake of the forty.”

30“I ask you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak. What if thirty were found there?” He responded, “I will not act, if I find thirty there.”

31“Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.”

32“I beg you,” he said, “not to be angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more. What if ten were found there?” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

33And the Lord departed, after he had ceased speaking to Abraham, who then returned to his place.