¹ Jahve mu se ukaza kod hrasta Mamre dok je on sjedio na ulazu u šator za dnevne žege.

² Podigavši oči, opazi tri čovjeka gdje stoje nedaleko od njega. Čim ih spazi, potrča s ulaza šatora njima u susret. Pade ničice na zemlju

³ pa reče: "Gospodine moj, ako sam stekao milost u tvojim očima, nemoj mimoići svoga sluge!

⁴ Nek' se donese malo vode: operite noge i pod stablom otpočinite.

⁵ Donijet ću kruha da se okrijepite prije nego pođete dalje. TÓa k svome ste sluzi navratili." Oni odgovore: "Dobro, učini kako si rekao!"

⁶ Abraham se požuri u šator k Sari pa joj reče: "Brzo! Tri mjerice najboljeg brašna! Zamijesi i prevrtu ispeci!"

⁷ Zatim Abraham otrča govedima, uhvati tele, mlado i debelo, i dade ga momku da ga brže zgotovi.

⁸ Poslije uzme masla, mlijeka i zgotovljeno tele pa stavi pred njih, a sam stajaše pred njima, pod stablom, dok su blagovali.

⁹ "Gdje ti je žena Sara?" - zapitaju ga. "Eno je pod šatorom", odgovori.

¹⁰ Onda on reče: "Vratit ću se k tebi kad isteče vrijeme trudnoće; a tvoja žena Sara imat će sina." Iza njega, na ulazu u šator, Sara je prisluškivala.

¹¹ Abraham i Sara bijahu u odmakloj dobi, ostarjeli. U Sare bijaše prestalo što biva u žena.

¹² Zato se u sebi Sara smijala i govorila: "Pošto sam uvenula, sad da spoznam nasladu? A još mi je i gospodar star!"

¹³ Onda Jahve upita Abrahama: "A zašto se Sara smijala i govorila: 'Kako ću rod roditi ja starica?'

¹⁴ Zar je Jahvi išta nemoguće? Navratit ću se k tebi kad isteče vrijeme trudnoće: Sara će imati sina."

¹⁵ Sara se napravi nevještom govoreći: "Nisam se smijala." Jer se prestrašila. Ali on reče: "Jesi, smijala si se!"

¹⁶ Ljudi ustanu i krenu put Sodome. Abraham pođe s njima da ih isprati.

¹⁷ Jahve pomisli: "Zar da sakrivam od Abrahama što ću učiniti

¹⁸ kad će od Abrahama nastati velik i brojan narod te će se svi narodi zemlje njim blagoslivljati?

¹⁹ Njega sam izlučio zato da pouči svoju djecu i svoju buduću obitelj kako će hoditi putem Jahvinim, radeći što je dobro i pravedno, tako da Jahve mogne ostvariti što je Abrahamu obećao."

²⁰ Onda Jahve nastavi: "Velika je vika na Sodomu i Gomoru da je njihov grijeh pretežak.

²¹ Idem dolje da vidim rade li zaista kako veli tužba što je do mene stigla. Želim razvidjeti."

²² Odande ljudi krenu prema Sodomi, dok je Abraham još stajao pred Jahvom.

²³ Nato se Abraham primače bliže i reče: "Hoćeš li iskorijeniti i nevinoga s krivim?

²⁴ Možda ima pedeset nevinih u gradu. Zar ćeš uništiti mjesto radije nego ga poštedjeti zbog pedeset nevinih koji budu ondje?

²⁵ Daleko to bilo od tebe da ubijaš nevinoga kao i krivoga, tako da i nevini i krivi prođu jednako! Daleko bilo od tebe! Zar da ni Sudac svega svijeta ne radi pravo?"

²⁶ "Ako nađem u gradu Sodomi pedeset nevinih", odvrati Jahve, "zbog njih ću poštedjeti cijelo mjesto."

²⁷ "Ja se, evo, usuđujem govoriti Gospodinu", opet progovori Abraham. - "Ja, prah i pepeo!

²⁸ Da slučajno bude nevinih pet manje od pedeset, bi li uništio sav grad zbog tih pet?" "Neću ga uništiti ako ih ondje nađem četrdeset i pet", odgovori.

²⁹ "Ako ih se ondje možda nađe samo četrdeset?" - opet će Abraham. "Neću to učiniti zbog četrdesetorice", odgovori.

³⁰ "Neka se Gospodin ne ljuti ako nastavim. Ako ih se ondje nađe možda samo trideset?" - opet će on. "Neću to učiniti", odgovori, "ako ih ondje nađem samo trideset."

³¹ "Evo se opet usuđujem govoriti Gospodinu", nastavi dalje. "Ako ih se slučajno ondje nađe samo dvadeset?" "Neću ga uništiti", odgovori, "zbog dvadesetorice."

³² "Neka se Gospodin ne ljuti", on će opet, "ako rečem još samo jednom: Ako ih je slučajno ondje samo deset?" "Neću ga uništiti zbog njih deset", odgovori.

³³ Kad je Jahve završio razgovor s Abrahamom, ode, a Abraham se vrati u svoje mjesto.

¹ Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

² He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

³ and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.

⁴ Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

⁵ I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

⁶ Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."

⁷ Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

⁸ He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹ They asked him, "Where is Sarah, your wife?" He said, "See, in the tent."

¹⁰ He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

¹² Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

¹³ Yahweh said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'

¹⁴ Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son."

¹⁵ Then Sarah denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

¹⁶ The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

¹⁷ Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

¹⁸ since Abraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

¹⁹ For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him."

²⁰ Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

²¹ I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."

²² The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.

²³ Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

²⁵ Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"

²⁶ Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."

²⁷ Abraham answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

²⁸ What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" He said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."

²⁹ He spoke to him yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" He said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."

³⁰ He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."

³¹ He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

³² He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."

³³ Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.