The Three Visitors
1The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,18:3 Or eyes, Lord do not pass your servant by. 4Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
10Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
Abraham Pleads for Sodom
16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.18:18 Or will use his name in blessings (see 48:20) 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
20Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.18:22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham 23Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare18:24 Or forgive; also in verse 26 the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Alendo Atatu a Abrahamu
1Yehova anadza kwa Abrahamu pafupi ndi mitengo ikuluikulu ya thundu ya ku Mamre. Abrahamu nʼkuti atakhala pansi pa khoma la tenti yake masana, dzuwa likutentha. 2Tsono Abrahamu atakweza maso ake patali anangoona anthu atatu atayima cha potero. Atawaona, ananyamuka mofulumira kuti awachingamire. Atafika anaweramitsa mutu pansi mwa ulemu nati, 3“Ngati mwandikomera mtima, mbuye wanga, musamulambalale mtumiki wanu. 4Ndikupatseniko timadzi pangʼono kuti nonse musambitse mapazi anu ndi kupumula pansi pa mtengo uwu. 5Tsono ndikutengereniko kachakudya kuti mudye kuti mwina nʼkupezako mphamvu zopitirizira ulendo wanu. Inu mwafika kumalo kwa mtumiki wanu.”
Ndipo iwo anamuyankha nati, “Zikomo kwambiri, chita monga wanenera.”
6Choncho Abrahamu anafulumira kupita kwa Sara mʼtenti nati, “Tafulumira, tenga mabeseni atatu a ufa wosalala, ukande ndi kupanga buledi.”
7Kenaka Abrahamu anakatenga mwana wangʼombe wonenepa ndi wofewa bwino ndi kupatsa wantchito wake amene anachita changu kukonza ndiwoyo. 8Tsono Abrahamu anatenga chambiko, mkaka ndi mwana wangʼombe wokonzedwa uja nazipereka kwa anthu aja. Alendowo akudya, Abrahamu ankawayangʼana atayimirira pansi pa mtengo.
9Anthuwo anafunsa Abrahamu kuti, “Mkazi wako Sara ali kuti?”
Iye anati, “Ali mu tentimu.”
10Tsono mmodzi mwa iwo anati, “Mosakayikira ndidzabweranso pa nthawi ngati yomwe ino chaka chamawa, ndipo Sara mkazi wako adzakhala ndi mwana wamwamuna.”
Koma Sara amene anali kumbuyo kwa Abrahamu pa khoma la tenti ankamva zonsezi. 11Abrahamu ndi Sara anali okalamba kale ndipo anali ndi zaka zambiri. Sara nʼkuti atapyola kale pa msinkhu oti nʼkubereka. 12Choncho anangoseka nati mu mtima mwake, “Kodi munthu wothayitha ngati ine ndingasangalalenso kugona pamodzi ndi mbuye wanga? Mwamuna wanga nayenso ndi wokalamba.”
13Ndipo Yehova anati kwa Abrahamu, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani Sara anaseka nʼkumati, ‘Moti ine nʼkudzakhaladi ndi mwana mmene ndakalambiramu?’ 14Kodi pali chimene chikhoza kumukanika Yehova? Pa nthawi yake, ngati yomwe ino chaka chamawa ndidzabweranso, ndipo Sara adzabala mwana wamwamuna.”
15Koma Sara ndi mantha ananama nati, “Sindinaseke.”
Koma Iye anati, “Inde iwe unaseka.”
Abrahamu Apembedzera Sodomu
16Kenaka anthu aja ananyamuka ndi kumapita, molunjika ku Sodomu. Ndipo Abrahamu anayenda nawo pamodzi kuwaperekeza. 17Tsono Yehova anati mu mtima mwake, “Kodi ndingamubisire Abrahamu chimene ndikuti ndichite posachedwa? 18Abrahamu adzakhaladi mtundu wa anthu waukulu ndi wamphamvu, ndipo mitundu yonse ya anthu pa dziko lapansi adzadalitsika kudzera mwa iye. 19Pakuti ndasankha iyeyu kuti adzatsogolere ana ake ndi a pa banja lake, kuti asunge mawu a Yehova pochita zoyenera ndi zachilungamo. Choncho Yehova adzachita kwa Abrahamu chimene anamulonjeza iye.”
20Ndipo Yehova anati kwa Abrahamu, “Kulirira Gomora kwakula ndipo tchimo lawo lafika poyipa kwambiri 21choncho ndikuti ndipiteko ndikaone ngati zimene achita zilidi zoyipa monga mmene madandawulo andipezera Ine. Ngati sizili choncho, ndikadziwa.”
22Anthu aja anatembenuka nʼkumapita, kulowera ku Sodomu, koma Abrahamu anali chiyimirire pamaso pa Yehova. 23Kenaka Abrahamu anasendera kufupi ndi Iye nati, “Kodi mudzawonongera kumodzi wolungama ndi woyipa? 24Nanga bwanji patakhala anthu makumi asanu olungama mu mzindamo? Kodi mudzawonongadi onse osausiyako mzindawo chifukwa cha anthu makumi asanu olungama omwe ali mʼmenemo? 25Ndithu simungachite zimenezi, kupha anthu olungama pamodzi ndi oyipa. Nʼzosatheka kuti inu nʼkufananitsa olungama ndi oyipa. Kodi woweruza wa dziko lapansi nʼkulephera kuchita chilungamo?”
26Yehova anati, “Nditapeza anthu makumi asanu olungama mu mzinda wa Sodomu, ndidzasiya malo onsewo osawawononga chifukwa cha iwo.”
27Ndipo Abrahamu anayankhulanso nati, “Tsono poti ndalimba mtima kuyankhula ndi Ambuye, ngakhale kuti ndine fumbi ndi phulusa chabe, 28bwanji anthu olungama atacheperapo ndi asanu pa anthu makumi asanu? Kodi mudzawononga mzinda wonse chifukwa cha asanuwo?”
Iye anati, “Nditapezamo anthu 45, sindidzawuwononga.”
29Kenakanso anayankhula kwa Iye nati, “Bwanji atangopezekamo anthu 40 okha?”
Iye anayankha, “Chifukwa cha anthu 40 amenewa, sindidzatero.”
30Ndipo Abrahamu anati, “Pepanitu musandipsere mtima Ambuye, koma mundilole kuti ndiyankhule. Nanga mutapezekamo anthu makumi atatu okha?”
Iye anayankha, “Sindidzatero ngati atapezekamo anthu makumi atatu.”
31Abrahamu anati, “Tsono poti ndalimba mtima chonchi kumayankhula ndi Ambuye, bwanji atangopezeka anthu makumi awiri okha?”
Iye anati, “Chifukwa cha anthu makumi awiriwo, sindidzawuwononga.”
32Kenaka Abrahamu anati, “Pepani Ambuye musandipsere mtima, ndingoyankhula kamodzi kokhaka basi. Bwanji atangopezeka khumi okha mʼmenemo?”
Iye anayankha nati, “Chifukwa cha khumiwo, sindidzawuwononga.”
33Yehova atatsiriza kuyankhula ndi Abrahamu, anachoka ndipo Abrahamu anabwerera ku nyumba yake.
