Orthodox Study

Old Testament

Genesis 18

1Then God appeared to him at the oak of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door during the noon hour.

ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τῇ δρυὶ τῇ Μαμβρη καθημένου αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ μεσημβρίας

2So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

ἀναβλέψας δὲ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ τρεῖς ἄνδρες εἱστήκεισαν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδὼν προσέδραμεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν

3and said, 'O Lord, if I have now found grace in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant.

καὶ εἶπεν κύριε εἰ ἄρα εὗρον χάριν ἐναντίον σου μὴ παρέλθῃς τὸν παῖδά σου

4Let water be brought, and let them wash Your feet, while You cool Yourselves under the tree.

λημφθήτω δὴ ὕδωρ καὶ νιψάτωσαν τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν καὶ καταψύξατε ὑπὸ τὸ δένδρον

5And I will bring bread for You to eat. After that You may pass by, inasmuch as You have come to Your servant.' They said, 'Do as you have said.'

καὶ λήμψομαι ἄρτον καὶ φάγεσθε καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο παρελεύσεσθε εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῶν οὗ εἵνεκεν ἐξεκλίνατε πρὸς τὸν παῖδα ὑμῶν καὶ εἶπαν οὕτως ποίησον καθὼς εἴρηκας

6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.'

καὶ ἔσπευσεν Αβρααμ ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν πρὸς Σαρραν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ σπεῦσον καὶ φύρασον τρία μέτρα σεμιδάλεως καὶ ποίησον ἐγκρυφίας

7Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a young calf, tender and good, gave it to his servant, and he hastened to prepare it.

καὶ εἰς τὰς βόας ἔδραμεν Αβρααμ καὶ ἔλαβεν μοσχάριον ἁπαλὸν καὶ καλὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν τῷ παιδί καὶ ἐτάχυνεν τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτό

8He also took butter and milk and the calf he prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

ἔλαβεν δὲ βούτυρον καὶ γάλα καὶ τὸ μοσχάριον ὃ ἐποίησεν καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐφάγοσαν αὐτὸς δὲ παρειστήκει αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τὸ δένδρον

9Then He said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?' He replied, 'Here, in the tent.'

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν ποῦ Σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν ἰδοὺ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ

10Again He said, 'I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.' (Sarah was listening in the tent door behind him.)

εἶπεν δέ ἐπαναστρέφων ἥξω πρὸς σὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου Σαρρα δὲ ἤκουσεν πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς σκηνῆς οὖσα ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Αβρααμ δὲ καὶ Σαρρα πρεσβύτεροι προβεβηκότες ἡμερῶν ἐξέλιπεν δὲ Σαρρα γίνεσθαι τὰ γυναικεῖα

12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 'I have not yet had a child until now, and my lord is old also?'

ἐγέλασεν δὲ Σαρρα ἐν ἑαυτῇ λέγουσα οὔπω μέν μοι γέγονεν ἕως τοῦ νῦν ὁ δὲ κύριός μου πρεσβύτερος

13Then the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh within herself, saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?'

καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Αβρααμ τί ὅτι ἐγέλασεν Σαρρα ἐν ἑαυτῇ λέγουσα ἆρά γε ἀληθῶς τέξομαι ἐγὼ δὲ γεγήρακα

14Is anything impossible with God? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.'

μὴ ἀδυνατεῖ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ῥῆμα εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σαρρα υἱός

15But Sarah denied she had laughed, for she was afraid, saying, 'I did not laugh'; but He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'

ἠρνήσατο δὲ Σαρρα λέγουσα οὐκ ἐγέλασα ἐφοβήθη γάρ καὶ εἶπεν οὐχί ἀλλὰ ἐγέλασας

16Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham went along and escorted them on their journey.

ἐξαναστάντες δὲ ἐκεῖθεν οἱ ἄνδρες κατέβλεψαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον Σοδομων καὶ Γομορρας Αβρααμ δὲ συνεπορεύετο μετ᾿ αὐτῶν συμπροπέμπων αὐτούς

17Then the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham, My servant, what I am about to do?

ὁ δὲ κύριος εἶπεν μὴ κρύψω ἐγὼ ἀπὸ Αβρααμ τοῦ παιδός μου ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ

18But Abraham shall surely become a great and populous nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

Αβρααμ δὲ γινόμενος ἔσται εἰς ἔθνος μέγα καὶ πολύ καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς

19For I know he will order his sons and his house after him. They will keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken to him.'

ᾔδειν γὰρ ὅτι συντάξει τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτόν καὶ φυλάξουσιν τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ κύριος ἐπὶ Αβρααμ πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτόν

20Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah has been completed, and their sins are exceedingly great.

εἶπεν δὲ κύριος κραυγὴ Σοδομων καὶ Γομορρας πεπλήθυνται καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα

21Therefore, I will go down now and see whether or not they are carrying out the outcry coming to Me concerning them.'

καταβὰς οὖν ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομένην πρός με συντελοῦνται εἰ δὲ μή ἵνα γνῶ

22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained before the Lord.

καὶ ἀποστρέψαντες ἐκεῖθεν οἱ ἄνδρες ἦλθον εἰς Σοδομα Αβρααμ δὲ ἦν ἑστηκὼς ἐναντίον κυρίου

23So Abraham drew near and said, 'Would You also destroy the righteous with the ungodly?

καὶ ἐγγίσας Αβρααμ εἶπεν μὴ συναπολέσῃς δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής

24Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous in it?

ἐὰν ὦσιν πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀπολεῖς αὐτούς οὐκ ἀνήσεις πάντα τὸν τόπον ἕνεκεν τῶν πεντήκοντα δικαίων ἐὰν ὦσιν ἐν αὐτῇ

25Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?'

μηδαμῶς σὺ ποιήσεις ὡς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής μηδαμῶς ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν οὐ ποιήσεις κρίσιν

26Then the Lord said, 'If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.'

εἶπεν δὲ κύριος ἐὰν εὕρω ἐν Σοδομοις πεντήκοντα δικαίους ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀφήσω πάντα τὸν τόπον δι᾿ αὐτούς

27So Abraham answered and said, 'Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Αβρααμ εἶπεν νῦν ἠρξάμην λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός

28But suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?' He replied, 'If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.'

ἐὰν δὲ ἐλαττονωθῶσιν οἱ πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι πέντε ἀπολεῖς ἕνεκεν τῶν πέντε πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐὰν εὕρω ἐκεῖ τεσσαράκοντα πέντε

29Again he spoke to Him and said, 'But suppose there should be forty found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of forty.'

καὶ προσέθηκεν ἔτι λαλῆσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ τεσσαράκοντα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν τεσσαράκοντα

30Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it if I should find thirty there.'

καὶ εἶπεν μή τι κύριε ἐὰν λαλήσω ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐὰν εὕρω ἐκεῖ τριάκοντα

31Again he said, 'Since I have permission to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of twenty.'

καὶ εἶπεν ἐπειδὴ ἔχω λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ εἴκοσι καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν εἴκοσι

32Then he said, 'Let not the Lord be offended, and I will speak but once more, suppose ten should be found there?' So He said, 'I would not destroy it for the sake of the ten.'

καὶ εἶπεν μή τι κύριε ἐὰν λαλήσω ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐὰν δὲ εὑρεθῶσιν ἐκεῖ δέκα καὶ εἶπεν οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω ἕνεκεν τῶν δέκα

33So the Lord went His way as soon as He finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

ἀπῆλθεν δὲ κύριος ὡς ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν τῷ Αβρααμ καὶ Αβρααμ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

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