1
And it came to pass that Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all males that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, and circumciseda the flesh of their foreskin as a reminderb of the covenantc Elohimd had made with them.
2
And Abraham was in the ninety-nineth degree and Ishmael in the thirteenth degree when they were circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin, and this they did in remembrance of the covenant.
3
And on the same day Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised, all the men of his house, which were born in his house, and bought with money of strangers, were also circumcised with him.
4
And all they that rejected the covenant were offered a sum of money, and he goats and she goats, and camels, and sent on their way from out of the lands of Abraham; but there was none of the men that did not partake in the covenant.
5
¶ And it came to pass that the angel of YHVHa appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre as he sat in his tent door, in the heat of the day and recovering from the wound of his handsb, saying: Behold!
6
And Abraham did lift up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him;
7
And when he saw these men, he ran to meet them from his tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, saying: My brethren, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from thy servant.
8
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort ye your hearts; after that you shall pass on; for this is why ye have come to your servant.
9
And they said: Go and do as thou hast said.
10
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said: Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead, and make cakes of bread upon the hearth.
11
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hastened to dress it.
12
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf, which he had dressed, and set them before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
13
And they said unto him: Where is Sarah, thy wife?
14
And Abraham answered: Behold, she is there, in the tent.
15
And one of them blessed Abraham, and he said: I will certainly return unto thee from my journey; and lo, according to the time of life, Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son.
16
And Sarah heard him in the tent door, and now Abraham and Sarah had heard this promise many times before, and not seen it fulfilled, therefore, Sarah had given up on this, believing her womb to be closed to her husband;
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Therefore, Sarah laughed within herself, thinking: After all of these years, my womb is still empty of the seed of Abraham, and how then shall I conceive of him?
18
And the man asked of Abraham: Why does Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for YHVHa?
19
And the men revealed themselves to be malakima of YHVH; and the first spoke again saying: At the time appointed, behold, I will return unto thee from my journey, which YHVH hath sent us; and according to the time of life thou mayest know that Sarah shall have a son.
20
Then Sarah denied her laughter, saying: I laughed not; for she was afraid.
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And he said: Nay, but thou didst laugh.
22
And the malakim rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
23
And the first malak said unto Abraham: YHVH said unto us: Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sina is very grievous, I will destroy them;
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And YHVH will send you, and ye shall go down now and see that their iniquities are rewarded unto them; and ye shall have all things done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me.
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And if ye do it not, it shall be upon your heads; for I will destroy them, and you shall know that I will do it, for it shall be before your eyes.
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And the malakim, which were holy men and were sent forth after the order of El Elyona, turned their faces from thence and went toward Sodom.
27
¶ But Abraham stood yet before the angel of YHVH, remembering the things which had been told him.
28
And Abraham drew near to Sodom and prayed unto YHVH, calling upon his name, saying: Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Wilt thou not spare them?
29
Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that may be therein?
30
O, may that be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked; O YHVH, may that be far from thee, for shall not the Judge of all the earth do that which is right?
31
And the angel of YHVH spoke unto Abraham, saying: If there be fifty righteous within the city of Sodom, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
32
And Abraham answered and said: Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lorda, which is able to destroy the city and lay all the people to dust and ashes:
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Will Thou spare them, perhaps there lack five of the fifty righteous? Wilt thou destroy all the city for their wickedness if thou should find there forty-five righteous?
34
And the angel of YHVH said: I will not destroy it, but will spare them.
35
And Abraham spake unto him again, saying: Perhaps there should be forty found there?
36
And the angel of YHVH said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
37
And he pleaded again, saying: O, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps there shall thirty be found there?
38
And the angel of YHVH said: I will not destroy them if thou shalt find thirty there.
39
And Abraham said: Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lord again: Wilt thou destroy them if perhaps there shall twenty be found there?
40
And the angel of YHVH spoke again saying: I will not destroy them for the sake of twenty.
41
And Abraham said: O, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Perhaps ten shall be found there?
42
And the angel of YHVH answered again saying: I will not destroy them for the sake of ten, but should there be less than this, behold I shall tell these to flee the city, and should they not look back in longing of that sinful place I shall not destroy them.
43
And the angel of YHVH when along his way; and Abraham went his way back unto his wives and their son.
44
¶ And it came to pass that Abraham returned unto his tent in peace.