Genesis · Chapter 18

[ edit] The Lord forſoþe aperyde to hym in þe valey of Mambre, ſittynge in þe dore of his tabernacle, in þat heet of þe day. And whan he had areride vp þe eyen, þre men ſtondynge nyȝ hym aperiden to hym. Whom whan he had ſeen, he ranne into þe aȝen comyng of hem fro þe dore of his tabernacle, and he lowtide into þe erþe, and ſeide, Lord, if I haue foundun grace in þin eyen, ouerpaſſe þow not þi ſeruaunt, but I ſhal bringe to a litil meſure of water, and ȝoure fete be wayſhid, and reſte þow vnder a tree; and I ſhal ſett a morſel of breed, and ȝoure herte be coumfortid; aftyrward ȝe ſhulen paſſe forþe; and þerfor forſoþe ȝe boweden down to ȝoure ſeruant. Þe whiche ſeiden, Do as þow haſt ſpokun.

Abraham hyede into þe tabernacle, to Sara, and ſeide to hir, Hye, and mynge togidre þre half buyſſhelis of clene flowre; and make looues bakun vndur ayſhen. He forſoþe ranne to þe droue, and toke þens a calf mooſt tendre and beſt, and ȝaue a child, þe which hyede, and ſeþede it; and toke butter, and mylk, and þe calf þe which he had ſoþun, and ſette bifore hem; he forſoþe ſtode biſide hem vndir þe tre. And whanne þei hadden etun, þei ſeiden to hym, Where is Sara þi wijf? He anſweride, Loo! in hir tabernacle ſhe is. To whom he ſeide, Turnynge aȝen I ſhal com to þee þis tyme, þe lijf ledere; and Sara, þi wijf, ſhal haue a ſone. Þe which þing herd, Sara lowȝ bihynde þe dore of þe tabernacle.

Forſoþe þei weren boþe oold, and of greet age, and to Sara fluxis of blood hadden laft to be maad. Þe which lowȝ priueli, ſeiynge, After þat I am bicom oold, and my lord is an olde man, ſhal I ȝyue byſynes to luſt? Þe Lord forſoþe ſeide to Abraham, Whi lowȝ Sara, þi wijf, ſeiynge, wheþer I an oold woman am verreily to bere child? wheþer eny þing is to God hard? Aftir þe ſawe bitwix vs I ſhal turne aȝen to þee þis ſame tyme, þe lijf leder; and Sara ſhal haue a ſone. Sara denyede, ſeiynge, I lowȝ not, þurȝ drede afeerd. Þe Lord forſoþe, It is not, he ſeide, ſo, but þow lowȝ. Þanne whanne þe men were ryſun þens, þei dreſſiden her eyen aȝens Sodom; and Abraham ȝede wiþ, ledynge forþ hem.

And þe Lord ſeide, Wheþer I mow hide fro Abraham þingis þat Y am to do, ſiþ he is to be into a greet folk of kynde and mooſt ſtrong, and alle naciouns of þe erþe ben to be bliſſid in hym? I woot forſoþe þat he is to comaunde his ſones, and to his hows aftir hym, þat þei kepen þe wey of þe Lord, and þat þei do ryȝtwiſnes, and dom, þat þe Lord brynge to for Abraham alle þingis þat he haþ ſpokun to hym. And ſo þe Lord ſeide, Þe cry of Sodom and Gomor is multiplied, and þe ſynne of hem is myche agredgyd; I ſhal go down, and ſe wheþer þe cry þat is comen to me þei han fulfillid in dede, or it is not ſo þat I wyte. And þei turneden hem ſilf þens, and ȝeden awey to Sodom.

Abraham forſoþe ȝit ſtode bifore þe Lord, and neiȝynge ſeiþ, Wheþer þow ſhalt leſe þe riȝtwis wiþ þe wickyd? if þere ben fifti riȝtwis in þe citee, ſhulen þei peryſhe to gidere, and ſhalt þow not ſpare to þat place for fifti riȝtwis, if þei ſhulen be in it? Be it fer fro þee þat þow do þis þing, and ſle þe ryȝtwis wiþ þe wickid, and þe riȝtwis be maad as þe wickid; þis is not þin þat demyſt al þe erþe; þow ſhalt not do þat dom. And þe Lord ſeide to hym, If Y ſhal fynde in Sodom fifti riȝtwis in þe myddil of þe cytee, I ſhal forȝyue to al þe place for hem.

Abraham anſweride and ſeiþ, For oons I bigan, I ſhal ſpeke to þe Lord my God, whan Y am powder and aſke; what if þere weren bi fyue leſſe þan fifti ryȝtwis, ſhalt þow do awey al þe cite for fyue and fourty? And he ſeiþ, I ſhal not do awey, if I ſhal fynde þere fyue and fourti. And eftſonys he ſpake to hym, If forſoþe fourti weren foundun þere, what ſhalt þow do? He ſeiþ, I ſhal not ſmyte for fourti. Y biſeche þee, he ſeiþ, ne indeyne þow, Lord, if I ſpeke; what if þere weren foundun þretti? He anſweryde, I ſhal not do, if I ſhal fynde þretti. For onus, he ſeiþ, I bigan, I ſhal ſpeke to my Lord; what if þere weren foundun twenti? He ſeyde, I ſhal not ſle for twenti.

I biſeche, he ſeiþ, Lord, be þow not wrooþ, if ȝit oons I ſpeke; what if þere be foundun ten? He ſeide, I ſhal not do awey for ten. Þe Lord ȝede aweie, after þat he had ceeſid to ſpeke to Abraham, and he was turnyd aȝen into his place.