Abraham: The Covenant

And all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his house, as the bought servants and strangers, were circumcised with him.

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.

And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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?