¹ Posle mu se javi Gospod u ravnici mamrijskoj kad seđaše na vratima pred šatorom svojim u podne.

² Podigavši oči svoje pogleda, i gle, tri čoveka stajahu prema njemu. I ugledavši ih potrča im u susret ispred vrata šatora svog, i pokloni se do zemlje;

³ I reče: Gospode, ako sam našao milost pred Tobom, nemoj proći sluge svog.

⁴ Da vam donesem malo vode i operite noge, te se naslonite malo pod ovim drvetom.

⁵ I izneću malo hleba, te potkrepite srce svoje, pa onda pođite, kad idete pored sluge svog. I rekoše: Učini šta si kazao.

⁶ I Avram otrča u šator k Sari, i reče: Brže zamesi tri kopanje belog brašna i ispeci pogače.

⁷ Pa otrča ka govedima i uhvati tele mlado i dobro, i dade ga momku da ga brže zgotovi.

⁸ Pa onda iznese masla i mleka i tele koje beše zgotovio, i postavi im, a sam stajaše pred njima pod drvetom dokle jeđahu.

⁹ I oni mu rekoše: Gde je Sara žena tvoja? A on reče: Eno je pod šatorom.

¹⁰ A jedan između njih reče: Dogodine u ovo doba opet ću doći k tebi, a Sara će žena tvoja imati sina. A Sara slušaše na vratima od šatora iza njega.

¹¹ A Avram i Sara behu stari i vremeniti, i u Sare beše prestalo šta biva u žena.

¹² Zato se nasmeja Sara u sebi govoreći: Pošto sam ostarela, sad li će mi doći radost? A i gospodar mi je star.

¹³ Tada reče Gospod Avramu: Što se smeje Sara govoreći: Istina li je da ću roditi kad sam ostarela?

¹⁴ Ima li šta teško Gospodu? Dogodine u ovo doba opet ću doći k tebi, a Sara će imati sina.

¹⁵ A Sara udari u bah govoreći: Nisam se smejala. Jer se uplaši. Ali On reče: Nije istina, nego si se smejala.

¹⁶ Potom ustaše ljudi odande, i pođoše put Sodoma; a Avram pođe s njima da ih isprati.

¹⁷ A Gospod reče: Kako bih tajio od Avrama šta ću učiniti,

¹⁸ Kad će od Avrama postati velik i silan narod, i u njemu će se blagosloviti svi narodi na zemlji?

¹⁹ Jer znam da će zapovediti sinovima svojim i domu svom nakon sebe da se drže puteva Gospodnjih i da čine što je pravo i dobro, da bi Gospod navršio na Avramu šta mu je obećao.

²⁰ I reče Gospod: Vika je u Sodomu i Gomoru velika, i greh je njihov grdan.

²¹ Zato ću sići da vidim eda li sve čine kao što vika dođe preda me; ako li nije tako, da znam.

²² I ljudi okrenuvši se pođoše put Sodoma; ali Avram još stajaše pred Gospodom,

²³ I pristupiv Avram reče: Hoćeš li pogubiti i pravednog s nepravednim?

²⁴ Može biti da ima pedeset pravednika u gradu; hoćeš li i njih pogubiti, i nećeš oprostiti mestu za onih pedeset pravednika što su u njemu?

²⁵ Nemoj to činiti, ni gubiti pravednika s nepravednikom, da bude pravedniku kao i nepravedniku; nemoj; eda li sudija cele zemlje neće suditi pravo?

²⁶ I reče Gospod: Ako nađem u Sodomu pedeset pravednika u gradu, oprostiću celom mestu njih radi.

²⁷ A Avram odgovori i reče: Gle, sada bih progovorio Gospodu, ako i jesam prah i pepeo.

²⁸ Može biti pravednika pedeset manje pet, hoćeš li za onih pet potrti sav grad? Odgovori: Neću, ako nađem četrdeset i pet.

²⁹ I stade dalje govoriti, i reče: Može biti da će se naći četrdeset. Reče: Neću radi onih četrdeset.

³⁰ Potom reče: Nemoj se gneviti, Gospode, što ću reći; može biti da će se naći trideset. I reče: Neću, ako nađem trideset.

³¹ Opet reče: Gle sada bih progovorio Gospodu; može biti da će se naći dvadeset. Reče: Neću ih pogubiti za onih dvadeset.

³² Najposle reče: Nemoj se gneviti, Gospode, što ću još jednom progovoriti; može biti da će se naći deset. Reče: Neću ih pogubiti radi onih deset.

³³ I Gospod otide svršivši razgovor sa Avramom; a Avram se vrati na svoje mesto.

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.