Bible / Genesis
Genesis 18
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (1749–1752), the traditional Catholic English Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate. If you read a modern Bible, this is the same Scripture in older English; some names are spelled differently (Cesarea for Caesarea, Apocalypse for Revelation). About this translation
1 And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
2 And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
3 And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant.
4 But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
5 And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
6 Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it.
8 He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
9 And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo she is in the tent.
10 And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
11 Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
12 And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
13 And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?
14 Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.
15 Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
17 And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
18 Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
19 For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham’s sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.
20 And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
21 I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.
22 And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
23 And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
24 If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?
25 Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.
26 And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
27 And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
28 What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.
29 And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
30 Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord: What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
32 I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
33 And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text. The Catechism uses modern verse numbers, so these are listed by chapter.
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 706 “Against all human hope, God promises descendants to Abraham, as the fruit of faith and of the power of the Holy Spirit.…”
- CCC 2571 “Because Abraham believed in God and walked in his presence and in covenant with him, The patriarch is ready to welcome a…”
“And lifting up his eyes, he saw, and behold, three men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent; and he bowed himself toward the ground, and said;' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“Therefore have the Jews departed from God, in not receiving His Word, but imagining that they could know the Father [apart] by Himself, without the Word, that is, without the Son; they being ignorant of that God who spake in human shape to Abraham,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter VII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:2 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“And lifting up his eyes, he saw, and behold, three men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent; and he bowed himself toward the ground, and said;' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“Then he goes on to say: And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CXXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:10 in modern BiblesCCC 489
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve;…”
“How then," said I, "does the one of the three, who was in the tent, and who said, I shall return to thee hereafter, and Sarah shall have a son,”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:11 in modern BiblesCCC 489
Read the Catechism
- CCC 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve;…”
- Genesis 18:12 in modern BiblesCCC 489
Read the Catechism
- CCC 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve;…”
- Genesis 18:13 in modern BiblesCCC 489
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve;…”
“At the time appointed shall I return to thee according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant the mission of many holy women prepared for that of Mary. At the very beginning there was Eve;…”
- CCC 148 “The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel…”
“At the time appointed shall I return to thee according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:16 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“And the Lord said, I will not conceal from Abraham, my servant, what I do.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“and looked toward Sodom.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CXXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:17 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“And the Lord said, I will not conceal from Abraham, my servant, what I do.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“and looked toward Sodom.' Then to Abraham He who was and is again speaks: I will not hide from Abraham, my servant, what I intend to do.' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter CXXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:20 in modern BiblesCCC 1867
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 1867 “The catechetical tradition also recalls that there are "sins that cry to heaven": the blood of Abel, The sin of the Sodomites,…”
“But Abraham was standing before the Lord; and Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:21 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“But Abraham was standing before the Lord; and Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:22 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“But Abraham was standing before the Lord; and Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:23 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“But Abraham was standing before the Lord; and Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?' ”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:27 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“Abraham was specially honoured, and was called the friend of God; yet he, earnestly regarding the glory of God, humbly declared, "I am but dust and ashes.”
Quoted in First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Clement of Rome (c. AD 96), Chapter XVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
- Genesis 18:33 in modern Bibles
Read the Fathers
“And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom;”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter LVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
A modern English Catholic translation will be added once its publisher grants permission.