The Three Visitors

1And the Lorde appeared vnto hym in the playne of Mamre, and he sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day. 2And he lift vp his eyes and loked, and loe, three men stoode by hym: And when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed hym selfe towarde the grounde, 3And sayde: Lorde, yf I haue nowe founde fauour in thy sight, passe not away I praye thee from thy seruaunt. 4Let a litle water, I pray you, be fet, and washe your feete, and refreshe your selues vnder the tree. 5And I wyll fet a morsell of bread to comfort your heartes withall, and then shall you go your wayes: for euen therefore are ye come to your seruaunt. And they sayde: do euen so as thou hast sayde. 6And Abraham went apace into the tent vnto Sara, & sayde: Make redy at once three peckes of fine meale, kneade it and make cakes vpon the hearth. 7And Abraham runnyng vnto his beastes, fet a calfe tender and good, and gaue it vnto a young man, and he hasted to make it redy at once. 8And he toke butter and mylke, and the calfe which he had prepared, and set it before them, and stoode hym selfe by them vnder the tree: & they dyd eate.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

9And they sayde vnto hym: where is Sara thy wife? He aunswered, behold, in the tent. 10And he sayde: I wyll certaynely returne vnto thee according to the time of lyfe: and lo, Sara thy wyfe shall haue a sonne. That heard Sara in the tent doore, which was behynde hym. 11Abraham and Sara were both olde, and well stryken in age: and it ceassed to be with Sara after the maner as it is with women. 12Therefore Sara laughed within her selfe, saying: Nowe I am waxed olde shal I geue my selfe to lust, and my Lorde olde also? 13And God said vnto Abraham: wherfore dyd Sara laugh, saying, shall I of a suertie beare a chylde, which am olde? 14Is any thing vnpossible to God? Accordyng to the tyme appoynted wyll I returne vnto thee euen according to the time of life: & Sara shall haue a sonne. 15The Sara denied it, saying: I laughed not: for she was afrayde. And he sayde: it is not so, but thou laughedst.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16And the men rysyng vp from thence, loked toward Sodome: and Abraham went with them to bryng them on the way. 17And the Lorde sayde: shall I hyde from Abraham that thing which I do. 18Seyng that Abraham shall surely be a great and a myghtie nation, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in hym? 19I knowe this also, that he wyll commaunde his chyldren and his householde after him, that they kepe the way of the Lord, and to do iustice and iudgement, that the Lorde may bryng vppon Abraha that he hath spoken vnto him. 20And the lorde saide: because the crye of Sodome and Gomorrhe is great, and because their sinne is exceding greeuous: 21I wyll go downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether accordyng to that crye whiche is come vnto me: and yf not, I wyll knowe.

22And the men departed thence, & went to Sodomeward: but Abraham stoode yet before the Lorde. 23And Abraham drewe neare, and said: Wylt thou also destroye the righteous with the wicked? 24If there be fiftie ryghteous within the citie, wylt thou destroye and not spare the place for the sake of fiftie ryghteous that are therein? 25That be farre from thee that thou shouldest do after this maner, and slaye the ryghteous with the wicked, & that the ryghteous should be as the wicked, that be farre from thee: Shall not the iudge of all the worlde do accordyng to ryght? 26And the Lorde sayde: If I fynde in Sodome fiftie ryghteous within the citie, I wyll spare all the place for their sakes. 27And Abraham aunsweryng, sayde: beholde I haue taken vppon me to speake vnto the Lorde, whiche am but dust and asshes. 28If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie ryghteous, wylt thou destroy all the citie for lacke of fiue? And he saide: If I fynde there fourtie and fiue I wyl not destroy them. 29And he proceaded to speake vnto hym agayne, and sayde: What yf there shall be fourtie founde there? He aunswered: I wyll not do it for fourties sake. 30He sayde vnto hym agayne: O let not my lord be angry that I speake: What yf there shall thirtie be founde there? And he sayde: I wyll do nothyng yf I fynde thirtie there. 31He sayde agayne: O see I haue taken vppon me to speake nowe also vnto my Lord: What if there shalbe twentie founde there? He aunswered, I wyll not destroy them for twenties sake. 32And he sayde: O let not my Lorde be angry, and I wyll speake yet but this once: What if ten shalbe found there? He aunswered, I wil not destroy them for tennes sake. 33And the Lorde went his way assoone as he had left communyng with Abraham, and Abraham also turned vnto his place.