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.
Omakwizikiro wongwatero ya Isak
1 Muhona we rimunikisa ku Abraham pomimbonde vya Mamre. Abraham wa haamene pomuvero wondanda ye moruveze rwomapeta. 2 Neye tja yera omeho we wa muna ovarumendu vetatu, mba kurama momurungu we nu kokure kaṱiṱi. Neye wa tupuka ku wo okuveyakura, tje ya pu wo, wa wa kozongoro nomurungu we amau tara mehi 3 na tja: “Vatengwa, arikaneye amu kapita nokuhina ku kurama poyandje; ami mbi ri mba okumukarera. 4 Ndji esa mbi raye omeva, mu rikohe na wo ozombaze zeṋu, nu mu suve kehi yomuti mbwi. 5 Nu ami me kaeta ovikurya, mbi mavi mu pe omasa okuryama mouyenda weṋu; orondu eṋe mwe ya koyandje, ami otji me mu sekirisa.”
Nowo va zira ave tja: “Osemba, tjita pu wa hee.”
6 Nu Abraham wa hakahana okuhita mondanda na tja ku Sara: “Hakahana, toora oruhere rwoye oruwa ovisanekero vitatu nu ru runga u tereke po omavanda!” 7 Abraham wa tupuka kozongombe ze na katoorora mo ondana ndja ṋuna, ne i yandja komukarere, neye wa hakahana okuiṱuna okumana. 8 Nu Abraham wa toora omaere nomaihi na indji onyama, ne vi twara ku wo. Nowo va rya eye omuini ngunda a kurama puna wo momuti.
9 Nowo ve mu pura ave tja: “Omukazendu woye Sara u ri pi?”
Neye wa zira nai: “U ri mondanda.”
10 Umwe wa imba ovarumendu wa ri Ndjambi, na tja ku Abraham: “Tjiri, moruveze mangara tjingero ndwi mombura ndji mai yende me kotoka, nu Sara omukazendu woye, tjandje u nomuatje omuzandu.”
Sara aa puratenene pomuvero wondanda mbwa ri mongotwe yomuyenda. 11 OoAbraham na Sara va kurupire tjinene; nu Sara wa isa okumuna omayuva woukazendu we 12 Nu Sara otje riyorera mu ye omuini na tja: “Nambano ami ngu mba kurupa tjinene me kara nonyuṋe movyonyama are? Nu ngunda peri nao, omurumendu wandje wina wa kurupa nai.”
13 Nu Muhona wa pura ku Abraham a tja: “Okutjavi Sara tja yoro ama tja: ‘Ami ngu mba kurupa nai me sora okumuna omuatje are?’ 14 Indu pe notjiṋa tji tji ha sorwa i Muhona are? Moruveze tjingero, kombunda yombura imwe ami me kotoka kove, nu Sara ma panduka omuzandu.”
15 Nu Sara tjinga aa tira wa pataṋa na tja: “Ami hi yorere.”
Neye wa zira nai: “Ii, ove wa yoro!”
Abraham merihekenenepo Sodom
16 Novarumendu va sekama nave i, nave kakurama poṋa puyave sora okutara kOsodom. Nu Abraham wa ya puna wo okuveṱika. 17 Nu Muhona we rihungirira mu ye omuini a tja: “Ami me sora vi okuhorekera Abraham imbi mbi me vanga okutjita, 18 Abraham, tjiri, ngunda ama rire omuhoko omunene nomunamasa, noviwaṋa avihe kombanda yehi amavi serwa ondaya mena re? 19 Ami mbe mu toorora kutja a rakize kovanatje ve na kozondekurona ze, ve kare nonḓuviro ku ami, nokutjita ve tjite ousemba nokupangura nouatjiri. Tji va tjiti nao ami me yenenisa avihe mbi mba kwizikira Abraham.”
20 Tjazumba Muhona wa tja ku Abraham: “Ami mba zuu omuano omunauvi wovandu va Sodom na Gomora, tjiri, ourunde wawo ounene tjinene. 21 Ami me vanga okurauka mbi kamune omuano omunauvi mbwi mbu mba zuva kutja ouatjiri.”
22 Novarumendu va ya nave hungama kOsodom. Nungwari Abraham wa sewa a kurama puna Muhona. 23 Nu Abraham weya popezu na Muhona na pura nai: “Mo kayandeka ingwi omuhinandjo puna omunandjo are? 24 Ngahino mu novasemba omirongo vitano moukoto wotjihuro; indu ove mo ve yandeke? Ove ko nokuyama otjihuro mena raimba ovasemba omirongo vitano are? 25 Tjiri, ove komoo yandeke omuhinandjo pamwe nomunandjo. Kape nokuyenena! Ove komoo tjiti nao. Komuano mbwi omusemba ma verwa otja omurunde; kape nokuyenena. Omupangure wehi arihe u sokutjita ousemba.”
26 Nu Muhona wa zira a tja: “Tji me munu ovasemba omirongo vitano mOsodom, ami me yama ihi otjihuro atjihe mena raimba omirongo vitano.”
27 Abraham wa hungira rukwao a tja: “Arikana, ndji isira okuryama komurungu nehungi kuna ove, Muhona. Ami owami omundu uriri ngu mbi hi nousemba wokuhungira kuna ove. 28 Ngahino mamu kara omirongo vine na vetano ovehinandjo moruveze rwomirongo vitano. Ove mo yandeke otjihuro atjihe mena rokutja pa kaere vetano are?”
Nu Muhona wa zira nai: “Ami himee yandeke ihi otjihuro tji mba vaza mo ovasemba omirongo vine na vetano.”
29 Nu Abraham wa hungira rukwao a tja: “Ngahino mamu kara omirongo vine uriri.”
Muhona wa zira nai: “Ami himee tji yandeke tji mu na omirongo vine.”
30 Norukwao Abraham wa tja nai: “Muhona, o ṱomazenge ami tji me hungire rukwao. Nu tji mamu kara omirongo vitatu?”
Muhona wa zira a tja: “Ami hi nokutjiyandeka ko tji mba vaza mo omirongo vitatu.”
31 Nu Abraham wa tja: “Arikana, ndji isira tji me hungire puna ove, Muhona. Nu tji mu na omirongo vivari uriri?”
Muhona wa zira nai: “Ami himee yandeke ihi otjihuro tji mu na omirongo vivari.”
32 Nu Abraham wa tja: “Arikana, o ṱomazenge, Muhona, tji me hungire otjikando tjimwe rukwao. Nu tji mu na omurongo uriri?”
Nu Muhona wa zira a tja: “Ami himee tji yandeke tji mu na omurongo.” 33 Nu Muhona tja mana okuhungira kuna Abraham, arire tja i. Nu Abraham wa yaruka konganda ye.
