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 favour 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 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 towards 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 towards 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.
Onyankopɔn Hyɛ Abraham Ne Sara Awo Ho Bɔ
1Awia ketee bi a Abraham te ne ntamadan a ɛwɔ Mamrɛ odum kwae kwan ano no, Awurade yii ne ho adi bio kyerɛɛ no. 2Abraham maa nʼani so no, ohuu sɛ mmarima baasa bi apue ne ntentenso. Ohuu wɔn no, otuu mmirika fii ne ntamadan no kwan ano kohyiaa wɔn, kotow wɔn.
3Abraham kae se, “Me wura, sɛ manya adom wɔ wʼanim a, ntwa me a meyɛ wʼakoa ho nkɔ. 4Momma wɔmfa nsu bi mmrɛ mo nhohoro mo anan ase, na monhome wɔ nnua yi ase kakra. 5Moaba mo akoa nkyɛn yi, momma mempɛ aduan kakra bi mma monka mo ano, na munnya ahoɔden nkɔ mo kwan.”
Nnipa no penee so kae se, “Eye, yɛ nea wopɛ sɛ woyɛ.”
6Enti Abraham de ahoɔhare kɔɔ ne yere Sara nkyɛn wɔ ntamadan no mu, kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ka wo ho fa asikresiam pa susukoraa abiɛsa, na fɔtɔw na fa to brodo.”
7Afei, Abraham yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ nʼanantwibuw no mu, kɔkyeree nantwi ba a oye na wadɔ srade de no maa ne somfo ma ɔde ahoɔhare yɛɛ ne ho adwuma. 8Afei, ɔfaa nufusu ani srade ne nufusu ne nantwi ba a ɔde anoa aduan no, de too nnipa baasa no pon. Bere a nnipa no gu so redidi no, na ogyina wɔn nkyɛn wɔ nnua no ase.
9Nnipa no bisaa Abraham se, “Wo yere Sara wɔ he?”
Abraham buaa wɔn se, “Ɔwɔ ntamadan no mu.”
10Afei, Awurade kae se, “Nea ɛbɛyɛ biara, afe sesɛɛ mɛba wo nkyɛn, na mɛba no na wo yere Sara awo ɔbabarima.”
Saa bere no, na Sara gyina ntamadan no pon akyi, retie nkɔmmɔ no. 11Na Abraham ne Sara nyinaa anyinyin yiye a wɔn mfe akɔ anim koraa nti, na Sara awo apa ho. 12Sara tee asɛm no, ɔserew ne tirim, kae se, “Manya awie aberewabɔ, na me kunu nso abɔ akwakoraa yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na manya saa anigyede yi?”
13Enti Awurade bisaa Abraham se, “Adɛn nti na Sara serew bisae se, ‘Ampa ara sɛ manyin adu sɛɛ yi, metumi awo ba ana?’ 14Biribi boro Awurade ahoɔden so sɛ ɔbɛyɛ? Afe sesɛɛ a mɛsan aba sɛnea mahyɛ wo ho bɔ no, na wo yere Sara awo ɔbabarima.”
15Na Sara suro nti, otwaa atoro se, “Manserew.”
Nanso Onyankopɔn kae se, “Ɛyɛ nokware turodoo sɛ woserewee.”
Abraham Di Ma Sodom
16Mmarima no kraa sɛ wɔrekɔ no, wɔde wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Sodom. Abraham kogyaa wɔn kwan. 17Afei, Awurade kae se, “Ade a mabɔ me tirim sɛ mɛyɛ no memfa nsie Abraham ana? 18Ɛyɛ nokware turodoo sɛ Abraham bɛyɛ ɔman kɛse a ɛwɔ tumi. Na ɛnam Abraham so na wobehyira amanaman a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa. 19Efisɛ mapaw Abraham sɛ ɔbɛkyerɛkyerɛ ne mma ne ne fifo Awurade kwan. Na wɔayɛ ade pa ne ade trenee a ɛsɔ Awurade ani. Sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Awurade bɔ a ɔhyɛɛ Abraham no bɛba mu.”
20Afei, Awurade kae se, “Mate nnebɔne a ɛyɛ duru a ɛrekɔ so wɔ Sodom ne Gomora no. 21Mɛkɔ hɔ akɔhwɛ sɛ, nea wɔyɛ no yɛ bɔne a ɛyɛ duru sɛnea mate no ana. Sɛ ɛnte saa nso a, mehu.”
22Na mmarima baasa no mu baanu dan wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Sodom. Nanso Abraham de, na ɔda so gyina Awurade anim. 23Na Abraham twiw bɛn Onyankopɔn bisaa no se, “Wobɛsɛe nnipa trenee ne nnipa bɔnefo nyinaa afra ana? 24Na sɛ nnipa trenee aduonum wɔ kurow no mu a, wobɛsɛe kurow no a worenhwɛ saa nnipa trenee aduonum no ho nnyae kurow no sɛe ana? 25Ɛmpare wo sɛ wobɛyɛ saa, sɛ wubekum nnipa trenee ne nnipa bɔnefo afra, de asotwe koro no ara bɛma nnipa trenee ne nnipa bɔnefo. Ɛmpare wo! Nea obu asase nyinaa atɛn no remmu atɛntrenee ana?”
26Na Awurade kae se, “Sɛ mihu nnipa trenee aduonum wɔ Sodom kurow no mu a, wɔn nti merensɛe kurow no.”
27Na Abraham bisae se, “Afei, me a meyɛ nsõ ne dɔte a mensɛ hwee, nanso masi me bo ne Awurade akasa yi, 28sɛ ɛba sɛ nnipa trenee no dodow yɛ aduanan anum nso ɛ? Esiane saa nnipa anum a wɔafi nnipa trenee aduonum no so ama aka nnipa trenee aduanan anum no nti, wobɛsɛe kurow mu no nyinaa ana?”
Onyankopɔn buae se, “Sɛ mihu nnipa trenee aduanan anum wɔ kurow no mu a, merensɛe no.”
29Abraham toaa nʼadebisa no so se, “Sɛ ɛba sɛ, nnipa trenee aduanan pɛ na wɔwɔ kurow no mu ɛ?”
Na Awurade buaa Abraham se, “Nnipa trenee aduanan no nti, merensɛe kurow no.”
30Abraham kɔɔ so srɛɛ bio se, “Mesrɛ wo, Awurade, mma wo bo mfuw me, ma menkasa. Sɛ ɛba sɛ nnipa trenee aduasa na wɔwɔ kurow no mu nso ɛ?”
Awurade buae se, “Sɛ mihu nnipa trenee aduasa a, merensɛe kurow no.”
31Afei, Abraham bisae se, “Masi me bo ne Awurade akasa yi, ɛba sɛ nnipa trenee aduonu pɛ na wɔwɔ kurow no mu ɛ?”
Onyankopɔn buae se, “Saa nnipa trenee aduonu no nti, merensɛe kurow no.”
32Abraham kɔɔ so bisae se, “Awurade, mma wo bo mfuw me; ma mimmisa mʼasɛm baako pɛ a etwa to. Sɛ ɛba sɛ, nnipa trenee du na wɔwɔ kurow no mu nso ɛ?”
Awurade buae se, “Saa nnipa trenee du no nti, merensɛe kurow no.”
33Bere a Awurade ne Abraham kasa wiee no, ogyaw Abraham hɔ kɔe. Abraham nso san kɔɔ nʼatenae.
