A Son Is Promised to Abraham
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham at the sacred trees of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day, 2 he looked up and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground, 3 he said, “Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to serve you. 4 Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree. 5 I will also bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you.”
They replied, “Thank you; we accept.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, take a sack of your best flour, and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and picked out a calf that was tender and fat, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to get it ready. 8 He took some cream, some milk, and the meat, and set the food before the men. There under the tree he served them himself, and they ate.
9 Then they asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
“She is there in the tent,” he answered.
10 One of them said, “Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening. 11 Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah had stopped having her monthly periods. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself and said, “Now that I am old and worn out, can I still enjoy sex? And besides, my husband is old too.”
13 Then the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child when I am so old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? As I said, nine months from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Because Sarah was afraid, she denied it. “I didn't laugh,” she said.
“Yes, you did,” he replied. “You laughed.”
Abraham Pleads for Sodom
16 Then the men left and went to a place where they could look down at Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on their way. 17 And the Lord said to himself, “I will not hide from Abraham what I am going to do. 18 His descendants will become a great and mighty nation, and through him I will bless all the nations. 19 I have chosen him in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and to do what is right and just. If they do, I will do everything for him that I have promised.”
20 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. 21 I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.”
22 Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? 24 If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won't you spare it in order to save the fifty? 25 Surely you won't kill the innocent with the guilty. That's impossible! You can't do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
26 The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
27 Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. 28 But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
29 Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty.”
31 Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
32 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, and I will speak only once more. What if only ten are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.” 33 After he had finished speaking with Abraham, the Lord went away, and Abraham returned 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.
