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.

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

He had a vision of the Lord, too, in the valley of Mambre, as he sat by his tent door at noon.

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.

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

He looked up, and saw three men standing near him; and, at the sight, he ran from his tent door to meet them, bowing down to the earth.

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

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

Lord, he said, as thou lovest me, do not pass thy servant by;

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

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

let me fetch a drop of water, so that you can wash your feet and rest in the shade.

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.

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

I will bring a mouthful of food, too, so that you can refresh yourselves before you go on further; you have not come this way for nothing. And when they had agreed to what he proposed,

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.

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

Abraham hastened into the tent to find Sara. Quick, he said, knead three measures of flour, and make girdle-cakes.

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.

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

Meanwhile, he ran to the byre, and brought in a calf, tender and well-fed, and gave it to a servant, who made haste to cook it.

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.

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

Then he brought out butter and milk with the calf he had cooked for them, and laid their meal ready, and stood there beside them in the shade of the trees.

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

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

When they finished eating, they asked, Where is thy wife Sara? She is here, he answered, in the tent.

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.

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

I will come back, said he who was speaking to him, next year without fail; and, live she till then, thy wife Sara shall have a son. Sara, behind the tent door, overheard it and laughed;

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

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

both were old, and past their prime, so that Sara was no longer subject to the lot of womanhood.

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

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

What, she said, laughing to herself at the thought, am I to have dalliance with this lord of mine, grown old as I too have grown old?

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

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

Whereupon the Lord said to Abraham, Why does Sara laugh, and ask whether she is indeed to become a mother in her old age?

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.

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

Can any task be too difficult for the Lord? At this time of year, the time I have appointed, I will come back to thee; live she till then, Sara shall have a son.

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

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

And when Sara, overcome with terror, denied the charge of laughing, Ah, he said, but thou didst laugh.

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

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

And now the men rose up, and turned towards Sodom, Abraham going with them to put them on their way.

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

Dixitque Dominus: Num celare potero Abraham quæ gesturus sum:

And the Lord said, Should I hide my purpose from Abraham,

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

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

this man who is destined to give birth to a people so great and so powerful? This man through whom all the nations of the world are to find a blessing?

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.

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.

Have I not chosen him as one who will teach his children and all his race after him to follow the paths which the Lord shews them, and to do what is just and right, winning him the fulfilment of all the Lord has promised him?

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

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

So the Lord told him, The ill repute of Sodom and Gomorrha goes from bad to worse, their sin is grievous out of all measure;

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.

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

I must needs go down to see for myself whether they have deserved the ill report that has reached me or not; I must know for certain.

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

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

And Abraham stood there in the Lord’s presence, as the men turned and went on towards Sodom.

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

Et appropinquans ait: Numquid perdes justum cum impio?

Abraham drew close to him, and asked, Wilt thou, then, sweep away the innocent with the guilty?

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?

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

Suppose there are fifty innocent men in the city, must they too perish? Wilt thou not spare the place to save fifty such innocent men that dwell there?

Far 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.

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.

Never that, thou wilt not destroy the innocent with the guilty, as if innocence and guilt were all one; that is not thy way, that is not how the Judge of the whole earth executes justice!

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.

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

And the Lord told him, If I find fifty innocent citizens in Sodom, I will spare the whole place to save them.

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

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

And Abraham answered, Dust and ashes though I be, I have taken it upon me to speak to my Lord, and speak I will.

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.

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

What if there should be five wanting to make up the tale of fifty innocent men? Wilt thou bring the whole city to ruin because there are five less than fifty? No, he said, if I meet with forty-five such, I will not bring it to ruin.

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.

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

But he plied him once more, What wilt thou do, then, if forty are found there? I will hold my hand, said he, to save forty.

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.

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

Then he said, Lord, do not be angry with me for pleading thus; what if thirty are found there? If I find thirty, he said, I will not do it.

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.

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

I have taken it upon me, said he, to speak to my Lord, and speak I will; what if twenty are found there? I will grant it life, he said, to save twenty.

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.

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

And he said, Do not be angry with me, Lord, I entreat thee, for making one more plea still; what if ten are found there? I will spare it from destruction, he said, to save ten.

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

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

So God finished speaking to Abraham, and left him, and Abraham turned and went home.