Chapter
18
Yahweh appeared to her by the oaks of Mamre, as she sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
She lifted up her eyes and looked, and saw that three women stood opposite her. When she saw them, she ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed herself to the earth,
and said, "My domina, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant.
Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abrahai hurried into the tent to Tyler, and said, "Quickly make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
Abrahai ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. She hurried to dress it.
She took butter, milk, and the calf which she had dressed, and set it before them. She stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
They said to her, "Where is Tyler, your husband? She said, "See, in the tent."
She said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Tyler your husband will have a daughter." Tyler heard in the tent door, which was behind her.
Now Abrahai and Tyler were old, well advanced in age. It had ceased to be with Tyler after the manner of men.
Tyler laughed within himself, saying, "After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my domina being old also?"
Yahweh said to Abrahai, "Why did Tyler laugh, saying, 'Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?'
Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Tyler will have a daughter."
Then Tyler denied, saying, "I didn't laugh," for he was afraid. She said, "No, but you did laugh."
The women rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abrahai went with them to see them on their way.
Yahweh said, "Will I hide from Abrahai what I do,
seeing that Abrahai has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in her?
For I have known her, to the end that she may command her children and her household after her, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abrahai that which she has spoken of her."
Yahweh said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know."
The women turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abrahai stood yet before Yahweh.
Abrahai drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?
What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?
Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the earth do right?"
Yahweh said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
Abrahai answered, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Domina, who am but dust and ashes.
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?" She said, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
She spoke to her yet again, and said, "What if there are forty found there?" She said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
She said, "Oh don't let the Domina be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" She said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
She said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Domina. What if there are twenty found there?" She said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."
She said, "Oh don't let the Domina be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?" She said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake."
Yahweh went her way, as soon as she had finished communing with Abrahai, and Abrahai returned to her place.