1 Un Tas Kungs parādījās viņam pie Mamres ozoliem, kad tas dienas tveicē sēdēja savas telts durvīs. 2 Un viņš pacēla savas acis un skatījās, un raugi, trīs vīri stāvēja viņa priekšā. 3 Tos ieraudzījis, viņš steidzās tiem pretim no telts durvīm, noliecās līdz zemei un sacīja: "Mans Kungs, ja es esmu atradis labvēlību tavās acīs, tad, lūdzams, neej savam kalpam garām. 4 Es likšu atnest drusku ūdens, ko nomazgāt kājas, tad apmetieties zem šī koka. 5 Un es dabūšu kumosu maizes, ka jūs varat savas sirdis stiprināt, pēc jūs varat atkal doties ceļā, jo kādā citā nolūkā tad jūs būtu iegriezušies pie sava kalpa?" Un tie teica: "Labi, dari, kā tu esi sacījis." 6 Un Ābrahāms iesteidzās teltī pie Sāras un sacīja: "Steidzies, paņem trīs mērus miltu no smalkajiem miltiem, iejauc tos un taisi plāceņus." 7 Un Ābrahāms skrēja pie lopiem un paņēma labu un mīkstu telēnu un deva to puisim, steidzinādams to sagatavot. 8 Tad viņš paņēma raudzētu un svaigu pienu un sagatavoto teļu un cēla to viņiem priekšā, bet pats viņš stāvēja pie viņiem zem koka, kamēr viņi ēda. 9 Un tie sacīja viņam: "Bet kur ir Sāra, tava sieva?" Viņš atbildēja: "Lūk, teltī." 10 Bet tas sacīja: "Es atgriezīšos pie tevis pēc gada šinī laikā, un redzi, tavai sievai Sārai būs dēls." Bet Sāra stāvēja, klausīdamās pie telts durvīm, kas bija aiz viņiem. 11 Bet Ābrahāms un Sāra bija jau padzīvojuši, gados veci, un Dievs Sārai jau bija pārtraucis tās norises, kas sievām mēdz būt. 12 Un tad Sāra smējās pie sevis, sacīdama: "Pēc tam kad es esmu sākusi novecot, lai es vēl iedegtos? Un mans kungs jau ir vecs." 13 Un Tas Kungs sacīja uz Ābrahāmu: "Kāpēc tad Sāra smējās, sacīdama: vai es patiešām vēl dzemdēšu, veca būdama? 14 Vai Tam Kungam kaut kas būtu neiespējams? Noliktā laikā Es atgriezīšos pie tevis nākamā gadā, un Sārai būs dēls." 15 Un Sāra meloja, teikdama: "Es neesmu smējusies," - jo viņai bija bailes. Bet Viņš sacīja: "Kā tad ne - tu smējies." 16 Un tie vīri cēlās no turienes un devās uz Sodomas pusi, un Ābrahāms gāja ar viņiem, tos pavadīdams. 17 Un Tas Kungs sacīja: "Vai Man no Ābrahāma būs slēpt, ko Es gribu darīt? 18 Jo Ābrahāmam būs tapt par lielu un varenu tautu, un viņā būs svētītas visas zemes tautas. 19 Es esmu viņu izredzējis, lai viņš saviem bērniem pavēl un savam namam pēc viņa, ka tie sargā Tā Kunga ceļu, lai darītu taisnību un tiesas, ka Tas Kungs liktu nākt pār Ābrahāmu tam, ko Viņš ir sacījis viņam." 20 Un Tas Kungs sacīja: "Brēkšana par Sodomu un Gomoru patiešām ir liela, un viņu apgrēcība ir ļoti smaga. 21 Es iešu un lūkošu, vai viņi ir darījuši pēc tās brēkšanas, kas aizsniegusi Mani, vai ne; to Es gribu uzzināt." 22 Un vīri nogriezās no turienes un gāja uz Sodomu; bet Ābrahāms stāvēja vēl Tā Kunga vaiga priekšā. 23 Un Ābrahāms tuvojās Viņam un sacīja: "Vai Tu tiešām gribi iznīcināt taisno kopā ar bezdievīgo? 24 Varbūt atrastos piecdesmit taisnie šinī pilsētā? Vai Tu tiešām iznīcināsi tos un nesaudzētu šo vietu to piecdesmit taisno dēļ, kas ir viņas vidū? 25 Nemūžam Tu tā nedarīsi, ka liksi mirt taisnajam ar bezdievi, ka taisnais būtu līdzīgs bezdievim. Nemūžam! Vai visas pasaules soģis nedarīs taisni?" 26 Un Tas Kungs sacīja: "Ja Es Sodomas pilsētā atradīšu piecdesmit taisnus, Es saudzēšu visu šo vietu viņu dēļ." 27 Un Ābrahāms atbildēja un sacīja: "Es esmu uzdrošinājies runāt ar savu Kungu, lai gan es esmu pīšļi un pelni. 28 Varbūt pieci iztrūkst no piecdesmit taisniem, vai Tu tad arī šo piecu dēļ iznīcinātu visu pilsētu?" Un Viņš sacīja: "Nē, Es neiznīcināšu, ja atradīšu tur četrdesmit piecus." 29 Un tas turpināja runāt ar Viņu un sacīja: "Var būt, ka tiek atrasti tur četrdesmit." Un Viņš sacīja: "Nē, Es to nedarīšu šo četrdesmit dēļ." 30 Un tas sacīja: "Lūdzams, nedusmojies, mans Kungs, ka es gribu runāt; varbūt tur atrastos trīsdesmit?" Un Viņš sacīja: "Es to nedarīšu, ja tur atrastos trīsdesmit." 31 Un tas sacīja: "Es esmu uzdrošinājies runāt ar savu Kungu; varbūt tur atrastos divdesmit?" Un Viņš sacīja: "Es to neizpostīšu šo divdesmit dēļ." 32 Un tas sacīja: "Kaut nedusmotos mans Kungs. Es runāšu vēl reizi; varbūt atrastos tikai desmit?" Un Viņš atbildēja: "Es to neizpostīšu šo desmit dēļ." 33 Un Tas Kungs aizgāja, kad bija beidzis runāt ar Ābrahāmu. Bet Ābrahāms atgriezās savā vietā.
The Lord Promises Abraham a Son
1 One hot summer afternoon while Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, the Lord appeared to him. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground, 3 and said, “Please come to my home where I can serve you. 4 I'll have some water brought, so you can wash your feet, then you can rest under a tree. 5 Let me get you some food to give you strength before you leave. I would be honored to serve you.”
“Thank you very much,” they answered. “We accept your offer.”
6 Abraham went quickly to his tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get a large sack of flour and make some bread.” 7 After saying this, he rushed off to his herd of cattle and picked out one of the best calves, which his servant quickly prepared. 8 He then served his guests some yogurt and milk together with the meat.
While they were eating, he stood near them under the tree, 9 and they asked, “Where's your wife Sarah?”
“She is right there in the tent,” Abraham answered.
10 One of the guests was the Lord, and he said, “I'll come back about this time next year, and when I do, Sarah will already have a son.”
Sarah was behind Abraham, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was well past the age for having children. 12 So she laughed and said to herself, “Now that I am worn out and my husband is old, will I really know such happiness?”
13 The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14 I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I'll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.”
15 Sarah was so frightened that she lied and said, “I didn't laugh.”
“Yes, you did!” he answered.
Abraham Prays for Sodom
16 When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.
17 The Lord said to himself, “I should tell Abraham what I am going to do, 18 since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations on earth. 19 I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. If they do, I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised.”
20 The Lord said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. 21 Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I would like to know.”
22 The men turned and started toward Sodom. But the Lord stayed with Abraham. 23 And Abraham asked him, “Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? 24 Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only 50 good people in it? 25 You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
26 The Lord replied, “If I find 50 good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
27 Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this. 28 But suppose there are only 45 good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find 45 good people,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
29 “Suppose there are just 40 good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“If I find 30,” the Lord replied, “I still won't destroy it.”
31 Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was the Lord's answer.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
“For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won't destroy the city.”
33 After speaking with Abraham, the Lord left, and Abraham went back home.
